Lawyer slams MACC for harassment, reveals offer by senior officer to stop probe

A lawyer whom the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) accused of fleeing an investigation into a contract awarded to develop a new immigration management system has made a shocking claim regarding a senior officer of the anti-graft agency, as well as harassment of him and his family.

Mansoor Saat, a director and shareholder of NERS Sdn Bhd involved in the development of a foreign worker biometric data system, also strongly denied MACC's suggestion that he had absconded, describing a statement that he was being hunted as a deliberate attempt to smear his name.

"There is no greater falsehood than that. I am not a fugitive. I am also not on the run," he said, adding that the investigating officer knew what happened but "sought to cast aspersions on my integrity".

"I reject that false narrative with all of the forces at my disposal," he said, adding that he was considering a suit against MACC for the abuse of power and misfeasance in public office. 

MACC claimed that Mansoor, alongside Muhammad Adlan Berhan, had absconded overseas in the midst of an investigation into corrupt practices relating to the registration, acquisition and storage of biometric data from foreign workers.

Adlan, who is the son-in-law of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, also previously denied that he was on the run, with his lawyer saying he had already written to MACC in June about his travel plans, without receiving any response.

Mansoor said he, too, had informed MACC about his travel plans, but received no reply from the investigating officer.

"Any statement that I am not contactable is not true. The investigating officer in charge of the investigation is in the know of my whereabouts," he said.

He said at the height of the recent state election campaign, the officer insisted that he come back "on an urgent basis".

He said after replying that he could not return until his business was taken care of, MACC officers had harassed him with threats of vilification and character assassination.

He later discovered that bank accounts belonging to him and his wife had been frozen without notice, and a travel ban imposed on him.

"My wife has got nothing to do at all with the matter under investigation by MACC," Mansoor added.

Share transfer request

In his statement today, Mansoor also made a shocking revelation of a way out offered to him by a senior MACC officer.

He said he was first called up by MACC in March, and told that his assistance was needed in a probe related to the change of NERS Sdn Bhd's project account to receive proceeds from the home ministry into the company's operation account.

"It took three days. MACC did not show me any evidence to support the allegation of bribery or corrupt practices," he said. 

He said during the investigation, a senior officer asked him to transfer his shares in NERS Sdn Bhd to a new shareholder, S5 Systems Sdn Bhd, the operating company at that time. 

"It was impressed upon me that if I agreed to the transfer, my ordeal would be over. A few days after the investigation, I received a letter drafted by S5 for me to effect the transfer of my shares in NERS to S5," he said.

"It is obvious that what I am going through now was caused by my refusal to transfer the shares."

When contacted, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said in a short reply that he had yet to read Mansoor's statement.

"I don't want to hear excuses. Just come back and meet the IO," he told MalaysiaNow.

The case was frequently raised by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his campaign speeches for the recent state elections. 

In one speech, Anwar said he had been contacted by Azam who updated him on the investigations, describing it as a "big case".

Mansoor meanwhile condemned the use of the media to influence public opinion, saying it was MACC's way "to shore up its flagging reputation or to appease the political dispensation". 

"I am saddened that the MACC is being weaponised in such deplorable fashion," he said, adding that there were political undertones, and that he was being targeted due to his associations with Adlan.

"I am a businessman as well as an advocate and solicitor who has business associations with a lot other people, and I am surprised that my association with Dato Sri (Adlan) has been singled out.

"I will however not allow myself to be bullied into submission and to part with my shares to benefit some corporate players close to some MACC officers," he said.