Former MCA president Ling Liong Sik and his son Ling Hee Leong have been cleared by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) of any improprieties relating a RM1.2 billion in corporate acquisitions in 1997.

At a close-door meeting with DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang this morning, ACA deputy director of investigations Ahmad Mandus and head of general investigations R Rathakirushnan were said to have confirmed that the two Lings did not commit any offences from the six-year investigation into the matter.

"The ACA has said that there has been no offences disclosed. I was told that the investigation had been completed six months ago," Lim told reporters outside the ACA headquarters in Putrajaya.

Lim's meeting with the officials was in relation to several reports that he had filed since 1997 calling for investigations into whether Ling had improperly used his influence as the MCA chief and cabinet minister to secure mega-loans for his son's business ventures with businessman Soh Chee Wen.

Hee Leong, who was then 27 years old, startled the corporate world when he bought a number of key companies with Soh's help.

However, another ACA investigation on Ling following disclosures by his former political ally, Soh, on their business dealings is still pending.

Soh issue

Elaborating on the Lings' case, the DAP chairperson expressed dissatisfaction with the ACA's findings saying that other issues relating to the same matter had not been adequately addressed by the body.

Lim was referring to a second complaint he filed asking for a probe into whether Ling had committed an offence of obstructing ACA investigations following allegations made by Ling's former protege Soh in an interview with malaysiakini last year.

"The ACA said they wanted a statement from me in order to conclude their investigations. But this is very misleading. How can the ACA claim to have completed the first investigation without looking into the second? The two issues are inter-related," he asserted.

In the interview, Soh had claimed that in 1997, the MCA leader had asked him not to bring up his name and that of his wife, Ena, in relation to ACA inquiries on several of their controversial business deals.

The flamboyant businessman subsequently fled Malaysia in 1999 after he was charged with two offences in connection with defrauding a now defunct stockbroking firm of over RM500 million.

However, he returned in May last year in a move widely believed to be orchestrated to press for Ling's resignation as MCA president (which took place in May this year). Soh is currently out on a RM2 million bail.

A malaysiakini journalist was interviewdd by ACA officials following the publication of the report.

Under section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, any person found guilty of obstructing police or anti-graft investigations is liable to a RM100,000 fine, a 10-year jail term or both.

Deliberate lie?

Another one of Lim's grouses was over the statement by then-deputy minister in the prime minister's department Douglas Uggah Embas last March that the ACA investigations into the Lings' affairs were incomplete and would only be divulged in public should the matter come to trial.

Douglas, who is now deputy transport minister, had made the statement in Parliament in response to a question by Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok.

"Did Douglas deliberately mislead the Parliament when he said that? The matter should then be referred to the committee of privileges," Lim added.

On other issues raised by the DAP leaders at this morning's meeting, Lim said the ACA officials could not provide him with an update, although they took note of the list of unresolved issues.

These included the multi-billion ringgit Perwaja Steel scandal, the allegations by ex-Bank Negara deputy governor Abdul Murad that jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim had amassed a fortune and the controversial reacquisition of Malaysia Airlines by the government from its former chairperson Tajuddin Ramli.

When contacted, ACA head of investigations R Rathakirushnan confirmed the information relayed to Lim this morning and said the investigations into Soh's allegations are still on-going.

"We are still taking statements (from various individuals). In fact, this morning, we also took Lim's statement on this matter," he said.

However, Rathakirushnan could not say when the investigations might be completed. "We are trying to do this as quickly as possible. It does not do us any good to hold back the investigations," he said.

Lim was accompanied at the meeting by DAP MPs Dr Tang Seng Giaw (Kepong), Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang), Tan Kok Wai (Cheras), Teresa Kok (Seputeh) and national publicity secretary Ronnie Liu.