Isnin, 25 Mei 2015

Chong Chieng Jen's Blog

Chong Chieng Jen's Blog


Unfreeze the Accounts, Go for the Ministers

Posted: 20 May 2015 07:15 PM PDT

The freezing of the bank accounts of more than 500 companies by the MACC is merely a drama played up by the MACC in its desperate attempt to redeem its dented image. It is merely trying to sensationalise the whole episode of "war against corruption in logging industry".
Such tactic of "freezing all accounts first then investigate" is not only against the basic due process of the law but it will not give any added assistance to the MACC in the investigation of any case of corruption.
DAP supports all anti-corruption action, but this is not the way to do it. This is merely dramatizing the whole exercise without having any added impact on the true culprits. Worst of all, innocent traders and companies are victimized along the way.
Is such tactic deployed at the MACC's own accord or is the MACC receiving instruction from the State Government?
With the accounts of 500 companies frozen, how many investigating officers is required to be deployed to carry out the investigation and how long will the investigation last. Does the MACC have enough investigating officers to do the job within two weeks or one month?
To thoroughly investigate a company's account, the MACC needs at least 3 – 5 officers full-time investigating the company for at least 2 – 3 weeks, more complicated cases will need more officers and time. How many investigating officers have the MACC deployed to investigate these 500 companies, bearing in mind that these officers must at least have some basic accounting knowledge.
In fact, there is no necessity to freeze the accounts of the companies for the purpose of investigation. All money transactions of the accounts are in the record of the banks. With or without freezing the accounts, the records will remain there for investigation by the MACC.
The only valid and acceptable reason for freezing a company's account is when there is already sufficient evidence to prosecute the company in Court for corruption. It is only then that the MACC has valid grounds to freeze the account of the company in question.
What the MACC is doing now is just casting a big net and hope to get something out of it. This is clearly an abuse of its power under the law and this will cause unnecessary hardship not only to the companies, but all the employees, contractors and suppliers of these companies and their family members. Ultimately, it will put Sarawak's economy in jeopardy.
Just because the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan is now declaring was on illegal logging and corruption in logging industry, therefore the MACC carry out the blanket order to freeze the accounts of almost all those involved in the industry. This is "persecution", not "fighting corruption".
If tomorrow Adenan were to declare war on corruption in the property development industry, will the MACC then freeze the accounts of all the developers? Who will be next? Legal firms, accounting firms, hardware stores, common traders? It smacks of tyranny where rule by man prevails over the rule by law.
As such, I call upon the MACC to unfreeze all the accounts of the companies which at present the MACC has no sufficient evidence to prosecute in Court. This drama should be stopped. The due process of the law must be put in practice.
I further call upon the MACC that if it is serious about fighting corruption, the targets should be on:
1. the Ministers and Assistant Ministers who have assets or money in bank accounts beyond their means. They are the ones who are not supposed to have other sources of income apart from there ministerial allowances;
2. the immediate family members of the Ministers and Assistant Ministers and their companies, whereby government contracts were awarded without open tender and land alienated at far below the market values;
3. high-ranking government officers who has the power to approve contracts and alienation of state land and whose assets and bank accounts are beyond the means of their salaries.

Chong Chieng Jen
MP for Bandar Kuching
ADUN for Kota Sentosa

非议反贪污委员会的“先冻结,后调查”的撒鱼网行动

Posted: 20 May 2015 07:03 PM PDT

(古晋21日讯)民主行动党古晋市国会议员兼哥打圣淘沙州议员张健仁非议反贪污委员会的"先冻结,后调查"的撒鱼网行动。
张健仁今日文告中指出,反贪污委员会今次如此的大动作,根本就是在"演戏"。 如此大阵仗一次过冻结500多间公司的户口,只是在戏剧化打贪行动,对调查贪污案件没有多大的实际帮助。 更甚的是,它已违反了正常的法律程序,使许多无辜的公司也因此殃及池鱼。
张健仁质问,反贪污委员会如此的一次过冻结500多家公司的户口,到底是反贪污委员会本身的决定,还是受到州政府的指示。
他也质问,如今500多家公司的户口被冻结,反贪污委员会有多少位查案官对这500多间公司进行调查? 整个调查行动要进行多久?
"若要真正详细调查一间普通公司的银行账目来往,最少都要3 -5位调查官,调查2 – 3个星期,而且这些查案官必须拥有查阅公司账簿的基本知识。 如今,有500多家公司的银行户口被冻结,反贪污委员会到底调动了多少查案官?"
张健仁说,如果反贪污委员会要认真调查一间公司的银行户口来往账,它根本就不需要冻结其户口。 这些账目的记录全部都有在银行的电脑档案里,按几个键就能得到全部的记录,之后针对那些有疑问的来往项目再深入调查。 这才是真正的调查贪污。 又何必如此大动作的冻结500多家公司的户口。
张健仁指出,如今冻结了500多家公司的户口,反贪污委员会根本就没有足够的调查官能够在2星期或1个月之内完成全部调查。 最后的结果不是使到这些公司因周转不灵而倒闭,就是反贪污委员会敷衍了事。
张氏敦促反贪污委员会认真调查贪污,不要只是为了哗众取宠,或取悦阿德南而演戏,使许多无辜的公司受冤枉。
"过去反贪污委员会一直强调说,抓贪污要低调调查,才能抓到真正的贪污者。 那为何如今却如此高调,甚至不分青红皂白的'先冻结,后调查'?"
因此,张健仁呼吁反贪污委员会立刻解冻这500多家公司的户口,除非是那些反贪污委员会已经掌握足够证据提控上庭的。
张氏严厉警告,反贪污委员会的这种行动,不只是对那些被冤枉的公司经理董事股东不公平,遭受无妄之灾的人士也包括这些公司的职员、他们家属、这些公司的承包商和供应商。 影响范围的广泛,最终也将打击砂州的整体经济。
张氏也指出,今天阿德南说要打击非法伐木和涉及伐木业的贪污,反贪污委员会就如此不分青红皂白的冻结大部分涉及伐木的公司。 那如果明天阿德南要打击发展业的贪污,反贪污委员会是否也将冻结全部发展商的银行户口? 接下来又是谁? 银行业(因为大部分钱都是经过银行转账)? 律师馆? 会计师公司? 五金业? 甚至普通商家?
"这种作风不是打击贪污,而是'迫害'民众。 马来西亚是一个法治的国家,不是人治的国家。 不是因为一个领袖的喜怒和决定,整个执法机构就会不分青红皂白的乱抓人。 应该是有足够的证据了才抓人。"
张氏表示,如果反贪污委员会真的有决心打击贪污,反贪污委员会应该是针对以下3组人展开调查:
1. 那些财产和银行户口的存款,远远超越他们薪金的部长和助理部长,因为他们除了部长和助理部长的收入,不应该有其他的收入了。
2. 那些在没有公开招标的程序下得到政府工程和政府地的部长和助理部长的直系亲属。
3. 那些财产和银行户口的存款,远远超越他们薪金的政府部门高官。

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