PUTRAJAYA: Port Dickson Bersatu chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin today called for the senior armed forces officer implicated in the alleged corruption to be placed on temporary garden leave pending investigations.
Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegubard, said such immediate action was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the Defence Ministry.
He added that the temporary suspension from duty should be imposed while awaiting the outcome of investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to determine the next course of action against the senior officer concerned.
“Because if he remains in that position, it does not look right. What is the point of waiting for this investigation? If the investigation is delayed for six years until the person retires,” he said while appearing to hand over documents related to the allegations at the MACC headquarters here.
Yesterday, MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki asked Chegubard to come forward and submit evidence regarding allegations of large-scale cash inflows into the individual’s account.
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Chegubard added that he would submit a copy of the report lodged, together with supporting evidence related to the senior officer’s bank accounts, to the MACC today.
He questioned the MACC, noting that without waiting for the report he lodged on Monday, investigators had reportedly carried out visits at several locations linked to the alleged corruption case.
“Previously, I was told that a formal report was required before any action could be taken. That, too, I find difficult to understand. I acknowledge that I possess substantial information regarding tenders and contracts related to the army, where I detected elements of impropriety.
“However, for this phase, my disclosure report focuses solely on the senior officer’s bank accounts. If investigations are to be conducted, they should focus on what has been reported. That is only right.
“Since it was said that they did not know the details, then the matters I reported should be investigated first. To investigate, it is sufficient to contact Bank Negara, request bank statements, and audit the accounts concerned. Has this been done?” he asked.
Chegubard said the visits carried out yesterday were not intended to assist in erasing evidence of impropriety related to tenders and contracts which he has yet to report or disclose.
“I also wish to thank the Defence Ministry for its response on the day I lodged the report, which stated that space should be given to the authorities to investigate.
“At the very least, the ministry’s response was far better than in the past, when it immediately accused me of making defamatory allegations without examining or investigating my disclosures,” he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that MACC investigators visited the Defence Ministry to begin preliminary inquiries into several army projects from 2023.
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The move follows allegations by Chegubard regarding purported suspicious cash inflows into the bank account of a senior military officer, prompting the MACC to initiate investigations.
On Monday, Chegubard alleged that “large cash inflows” were detected in the bank accounts of a senior military officer and his family members.
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He claimed that a forensic audit of documents he received anonymously revealed monthly deposits ranging from RM50,000 to RM60,000. The documents also purportedly show larger transfers of several hundred thousand ringgit into accounts linked to the officer.
Chegubard also alleged that the funds were transferred from accounts belonging to companies that had secured military projects.
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