PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull, the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, claimed he was threatened several times during the course of his investigation into issues surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and SRC International.
Shukri said he was threatened with the sack, forced into early retirement and even received a live bullet.
He said he and his fellow investigators were under immense pressure, including having their witnesses spirited away. He said he and MACC chief commissioner at the time, Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, were even accused as traitors who were out to overthrow the government.
“My experience in investigating the SRC and 1MDB cases were frightening; I almost died.
“I am sad. Abu Kassim and I were accused of being traitors out to overthrow the government. We were doing our best to save the country and recover money from abroad,” he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters on Tuesday.
Shukri spoke of how the investigation began. He said that in 2015, Abu Kassim instructed him to initiate an investigation into RM2.6 billion allegedly found in Najib’s personal bank account.
“Tan Sri (Abu Kassim) had hinted of the consequences of indicting a sitting prime minister, and I told him it would not be a problem, as we are doing it for the nation,” he said.
Shukri completed two investigation papers on the RM2.6 billion and on SRC International. He said more than 100 witnesses had their statements recorded in the course of the investigation.
According to Shukri, one day before MACC was about to take action against Najib, then-Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was removed from office.
“My intelligence sources told me that I would be arrested and jailed for attempting to overthrow the government. I then decided to leave for Washington,” he said.
He said he released decoy information that he would be leaving for Saudi Arabia.
“I later heard that someone was waiting to arrest me in Jeddah,” he claimed.
Shukri said when he arrived in Washington, he realised that he was being tailed. He had his team in the United States take photos of the person following him.
“I sent the pictures to MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki, and asked him to send it to the then-Inspector-General of Police,” he said.
Fearing for his safety, Shukri said he then went to New York to seek protection from his friend, who worked with the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“I had protection from the NYPD for a week and they provided me with three bodyguards,” he said, adding that he then returned to Washington.
At the press conference, Shukri broke down when describing his guilt upon learning that his men had been arrested back in Malaysia.
“I felt guilty that I had escaped to Washington but my officers were arrested in Malaysia. I, Tan Sri, and my men were fighting for the nation, but we were accused as being traitors who wanted to topple the government.
“I felt helpless and frustrated at failing to protect my men. I cried in front of the Mat Salleh (foreigners),” he said.