KUALA LUMPUR: The involvement of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (ACAB) was not to clear anti-graft chief Tan Sri Azam Baki of any wrong-doings.
ACAB chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang said the purpose of the panel calling Azam on Nov 24 was to seek clarification on the allegation which was spread on social media because it raised a negative view of the MACC.
"I agree that ACAB has no authority to clear Tan Sri Azam's name. We are only asking him to provide an explanation of all the allegations regarding the shares, that were raised.
"We want to know the real facts and circumstances and not to clear his name," he told Berita Harian today.
Abu Zahar stressed that the ACAB, which is one of the MACC's five independent monitoring bodies, would not protect any officer of the commission involved in committing offences.
"ACAB has stressed that we will not compromise or protect anyone among MACC officers who commit legal offences, especially corruption and abuse of power," he said.
Nevertheless, Abu Zahar in a special press conference on Wednesday stated that ACAB found that there was no criminal conduct or conflict of interest involving Azam in the share transaction in 2015.
He said Azam had clarified to ACAB on Nov 24, that his shares account was used by his brother, Nasir Baki, to buy shares in 2015.
Abu Zahar said the purchase of the shares was made on the open stock market and there was no conflict of interest for the purchase of the shares in 2015, and the shares were also transferred to Nasir the same year.
He said, after a lengthy discussion, ACAB members were of the opinion that Azam had no pecuniary or beneficial interest in the shares.
"Therefore, ACAB is satisfied with the explanation given and found that there was no criminal conduct or 'conflict of interest' in the matter," he said.