Allegations of attempts to bribe journalists unfounded
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has closed its case on allegations that bribes of RM300 were given to journalists covering the Kuala Terengganu by-election last January.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has closed its case on allegations that bribes of RM300 were given to journalists covering the Kuala Terengganu by-election last January.
Deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department VK Liew said the MACC did not find any element of graft in the claims.
"According to statements and evidence obtained during the investigation, the deputy public prosecutor has found that it failed to satisfy the ‘ingredients' for a bribery offence," Liew told the Dewan Rakyat.
Liew said the matter was investigated for three months and the money recovered from the alleged bribery attempt has been handed to the state of Terengganu, in accordance with legal requirements.
He was responding to a question raised by Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Serdang) (
left
), who described the incident as a "clear cut" case of corruption.
Teo was referring to a MACC report lodged by two journalists, who were among about a dozen journalists who received RM300 in blank envelopes from an Information Ministry media centre staff.
This occurred on the eve of the Jan 17 by-election.
Teo contends that the reason for the commission's inaction allegedly given by the unidentified MACC officer in the News Straits Times report is totally unreasonable.
She argued that it is impossible for the MACC not to be able to identify the officer accused of bribing the reporters, because four Malaysiakini reporters who returned the envelopes with the cash inside and two Merdeka Review reporters who lodged a police report over the matter, have identified the media officer by name.
Information Ministry staff have been tight-lipped when quizzed about the envelopes.
Previous reports
'Cash for voters' sparks commotion
