‎In further revelations of the 'Copgate' trial which resumed today, an investigating officer (IO) with the MACC admitted in the Kuala Lumpur High Court that three witnesses from Perak denied giving bribes to former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director, Ramli Yusof.

MACC's Azmi Ismail said this during cross-examination by lawyer Chethan Jethwani who is representing lawyer Rosli Dahlan who was implicated together with Ramli in a MACC investigation.

Azmi admitted he recorded statements from three witnesses in 2007 during which they denied ever knowing Ramli or giving the former top cop bribes.

"Following this revelation, my investigation was then taken over from me and passed to one IO Saiful. I was also excluded from investigating the case thereafter," revealed the MACC officer.

Azmi, however, did not name the three witnesses whom he had interviewed.

He was testifying for the MACC in their defence of a RM50 million suit filed by Rosli for illegal arrest and detention.

Ramli had in 2007 been valued at RM27 million in reports by several parties who alleged this was the result of ill-gotten gains. He was then charged by the  MACC‎ with not declaring his assets.

Rosli was also charged for allegedly not complying with an MACC order ‎for him to declare his assets too.

Ramli and Rosli were acquitted by the Sessions Court and the higher courts and are now suing the MACC for damages

Both of them have also filed separate suits against Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and former IGP Musa Hassan and the MACC for malicious prosecution‎.

The MACC is represented by senior lawyer Cecil Abraham and Rishwant Singh.

AG and Musa fingered

 

Azmi further testified that earlier investigations showed no bribes were made to Ramli and also that he never knew that the MACC would use a statement from arrested criminal Moo Sai Chin against him.

 

Two weeks ago, Ramli testified in court that Gani ( photo ) and Musa had conspired to fix up him and Rosli.

 

This follows Ramli's run in with Gani and Musa over the Sodomy I trial in 1998 involving former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and also with the police investigations into Malaysia Airlines former chief executive officer Tajudin Ramli and a money-lending syndicate.

 

Ramli, who was then the No 3 man in the police force had also told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview in 2012 how Musa had used Moo to implicate him (Ramli) in 2006 for allegedly taking bribes in 1999 which stalled his promotions in the police force.

 

The former top cop has reiterated his allegation against the MACC in utilising Moo to launch an investigation against him.

 

Ramli had also testified on May 28 how Gani and the attorney-general's  chambers had abdicated their duties in refusing to draft affidavits for the him and six other police officers following the arrest of underworld figure Goh Cheng Poh or 'Tengku Goh' who is allegedly linked to Musa.

 

After the AG's chambers refused to draft the affidavits in Goh’s habeas corpus application, Rosli was roped in to help draft it along with senior lawyer C Vijiyakumar.

 

This led to the Gani and Musa ( photo ) using the MACC to target Rosli and he was charged earlier than Ramli.

 

It has also been reported today that Anwar wants to use Ramli's court testimony in his review of his Sodomy II conviction and for the former top cop to testify at the Federal Court.

 

The hearing before Justice Su Geok Yiam continues.