Senior officer tells of divine retribution for MACC

A senior MACC officer said she pleaded to her boss to instruct his subordinates not to lie

KUALA LUMPUR: A senior Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer had pleaded to her superior to order his subordinates not to give false statements in the Teoh Beng Hock case.

Senior investigating officer Azian Umar, 31, said this today when questioned by Bar Council’s Cheow Wee at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh’s death.

Cheow read out a SMS text message sent by Azian to Selangor MACC investigation department chief Hairul Ilham Hamzah in which she said “this is a big case, it involves a person’s life, if (we) lie once, then we need to lie many times more to support the lie”.

In the SMS, in which she expressed sadness at what had happened in Teoh’s case, she also said the incident with Teoh may be God’s “divine retribution” to MACC.

“Kita terlalu mengejar material, kita abaikan perintahnya…. (we were chasing after materials, we had neglected His commandments),” she wrote in the message.

Azian, who was one of the first MACC officers called during the early stages of the RCI in February, was this afternoon recalled for the Bar Council to question her on several “important issues”.

When questioned on the reasons she sent the SMS on July 17 at 7pm, a day after Teoh’s death, Azian confessed that there were meetings where officers were instructed to “lie”.

On April 27, assistant superintendent Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin shocked the RCI by confessing to being instructed to cover up the role of the then Selangor MACC deputy director, Hishamuddin Hashim.

“The operation (against Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah) was led by Hishamuddin, but in the discussion, Hishamuddin asked that it be said the operation was ordered by Hairul (Ilham Hamzah),” Azeem had said.

Second meeting

Azeem had also testified that there was also a meeting chaired by then MACC investigations director Mohd Shukri Abdull to discuss how to testify at the coroner’s inquest into Teoh’s death.

Today, Azian also confirmed that such a meeting was held.

Cheow: You were not directly involved in the operation, so I ask for your assistance to tell the truth. When (Teoh’s) body was found, was there any conversation, discussion or meeting in MACC on how to answer in the inquest?

Azian: Yes

Cheow: Can you tell us who is the one who ordered this meeting? Who called for the meeting?

Azian: Hishamuddin was the one who chaired the meeting.

Azian said the others present included Hairul Ilham and the then investigating officer for the case, Mohd Anuar Ismail.

She also confirmed that a second meeting with Mohd Shukri took place and officers were told how to answer questions at the inquest.

She said that DPP Kevin Morais and Hishamuddin were also present and had also given their views on the same matter.

She added that she was aware that there were a few other meetings to discuss the same issue, but was unsure how many.

Down and dispirited

Azian said she felt “down and dispirited” when she got to know of Teoh’s death, adding that it was “because we worked morning to night and suddenly something like that happened. I felt as if I don’t want to work anymore”.

When asked by both Cheow and MACC lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah if the only instruction given to officers was asking them to lie about Hishamuddin’s involvement, Azian repeatedly replied in the affirmative.

She also denied Cheow’s suggestion that Hairul Ilham was the one instructing his men to lie, saying she sent the SMS to him because she was closer to him.

Azian said that she did not disclose this earlier in her testimony because she was not asked, but admitted that she regretted for not telling it to the RCI.

She said that Hishamuddin was the “boss” of the Seri Kembangan operation but denied that he was physically involved.

She also admitted that she was “tremendously disturbed” that meetings were carried out and prayer times often ignored.

Azian also confessed that MACC’s head of prosecution, senior federal counsel Abdul Razak Musa, had previously alerted her to the incriminating SMS.

Cheow alleged that Azian had already expected the question, to which Azian agreed.

Cheow: Who had referred you to this SMS? You had expected me to ask you this question.

Azian: The SFC.

Cheow: What’s that? KFC, I know lah.

Azian: Abdul Razak Musa… the senior federal counsel.

She said she was called up by him and met him before she gave her first testimony in court.

This promted RCI chairman James Foong to accuse Azian of being coached and Azian admitted that Abdul Razak told her to only answer questions that are asked.

Foong then asked Shafee if he was aware, but the latter denied it.

Foong: Are you sure you do not know anything about this? I am concerned about SFC practically coaching witnesses, telling them what to do… don’t you think this is very unethical and very  immoral?

Shafee: I don’t want to say it amounts to coaching yet. It is very normal for counsel to speak to their witnesses. But in this case, I think he just wanted to know what the SMS was all about.

Foong: He was at the inquest; why does he need to call up this woman (Azian)?

Shafee: He is still a person in charge of legal matters, his deputy is Kevin Morais. They are both involved in matters involving the law in MACC. I would not conclude it is a dishonest act.

Foong: Things were so bad at the inquest that we need to have this inquiry. Why does Abdul Razak want to get involved again?

However, the question went unanswered.

Later, Azian also testified that she sent another SMS expressing her worry of “repercussions of their actions”.

She said that she was worried because she felt that the officers were “not safe”.

She added that the investigations in Selangor continued despite Teoh’s death and there have been officers who were followed by unknown men.

When asked of Hishamuddin’s character, Azian said: “He is a workaholic. The men are afraid of him, very fierce.”

However, when asked if she would lie for him, she said: “I don’t know for the others, but for me, no.”