Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail has stressed there was no political interference in the case of two former aides of a cabinet minister, and that they had not been charged in court as announced recently.

He said the matter was still under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to gather solid evidence with a view to strengthen the case in court.

“Many people, including members of parliament, and those from opposition parties, have pushed me either to take or not to take the matter to court,” he added.

Abdul Gani was speaking to reporters after a meeting on the issue with MACC Consultative and Corruption Prevention Advisory Panel president Johan Jaaffar in Putrajaya today.

He also urged all parties to give the MACC sufficient time to conduct a thorough investigation.

Asked to comment on the attorney-general’s statement, Johan expressed satisfaction as there was speculation bordering on political interference or selective prosecution in the matter.

In an earlier statement, the MACC said a former political secretary with the honorific title of Datuk, and a director of one of three foundations headed by the Datuk, would be charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for alleged breach of trust involving RM1.1 million, and another charge of alleged cheating involving RM1 million.

The two were nabbed by the MACC and released on bail of RM50,000 each.

The statement said the three foundations were established between the 1980s and 2011 but were not registered as welfare organisations or associations. However, they operated as companies.

MACC said the two held posts of director and board directors of the three foundations and the funds were allegedly taken from their accounts, which was in contradiction with the objectives of the three bodies.

- Bernama