KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Director-General Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan Monday welcomed the government's decision to restructure the agency, turning it into a full-pledged commission.
"It's very good. It is what you want and what people want," he told reporters when met after the opening of the Asean Integrity Dialogue 2008, here.
He said that though the commission would remain a part of the civil service and had to report to the government, it would have more freedom and power.
"The commission will still be under the government like other commissions. In this world, which commission is fully independent? Even the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) has to report to the chief executive of Hong Kong.
"You have to report to the government. Just to report. What you want is for us to be free during investigation, no inteference; that's what we are going to do," he said.
Replying to a question, Ahmad Said said there had been no interference in the agency's investigations.
"There has never been interference," he said, adding that the ACA hoped that the restructure would provide for better terms of service to attract more professionals.
In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun also responded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's announcement that the ACA would become a full-fledged commission by year-end.
He said the restructure of the ACA would negate public perception that the government practised selective prosecution.
The government move was reflective of its seriousness to give more power to the ACA to discharge its duties effectively without fear or favour, he said.
"We hope that the ACA will really become an independent body, so much so that the people of Malaysia can rest assured that justice prevails in the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases," he told reporters.
-- BERNAMA
No comments:
Post a Comment