The embattled Anti-Corruption Agency chief, Zulkipli Mat Noor was allegedly bribed to stop investigation into complaints of abuse of power and corruption against Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.

Senior Sabah opposition leader Dr Jeffrey Kitingan made the allegations in a lengthy 24-page police report lodged earlier this week in Kota Kinabalu.

Jeffrey, who is state PKR deputy chairperson, had lodged the police report at the Karamunsing police station in Kota Kinabalu containing 25 allegations against Musa, involving abuse of power, corruption and money-laundering.

In addition to his chief minister post, Musa is also the state's finance minister and Umno chief.

In the allegation against the ACA director-general, Jeffrey claimed that at a "secret meeting" last month at a six-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Zulkifli was paid money to stop investigations into Musa's involvement in the Wisma Bandaraya scandal - a multi-million office complex.

Jeffery is younger brother of current Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and Rural Development Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan,

The new allegations against Zulkipli came hot in the heels of charges that the country's top anti-graft fighter is himself corrupt and have amassed wealth beyond his means.

Last month, malaysiakini reported a set of explosive allegations against Zulkipli made by former Sabah ACA chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan.

Why no action taken?

Contacted today for further details, Jeffrey said the Wisma Bandaraya building - located in the heart of Kota Kinabalu - is owned by a Musa family-related company.

Since he took over as chief minister three years ago, several state ministries, including the Natural Resources Ministry, have moved out of government-owned buildings to Wisma Bandaraya.

Jeffery said no action had been taken by the ACA into the many complaints he had made against Musa over the matter.

Asked as to whether it was true that RM700,000 had changed hands at the secret meeting, Jeffery said he had not mentioned any specific sum of money in his police report.

However, the opposition politician added that he could not reveal more details as the matter could be under investigation.

In his police report, Jeffrey also referred to Musa's involvement in the privatisation of the RM450 million water project in Sandakan as well as the awards of the RM200 million annual maintenance of public roads in the state.

Musa is the third key personality embroiled in allegations of corruption in just as many weeks.

Apart from Zulkipli, Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum is also currently investigated for allegedly accepting bribes in return for the release of a number of detainees linked to the underworld.


The 25 allegations against Sabah CM
Jeffrey Kitingan's 24-page police report [PDF file]