The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wrapped up within six months investigations into about 80% of its cases last year.
More than 700 of the 900 investigation papers were completed and forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers within six months of their opening, said MACC Operations Review Panel chairman Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil.
"Of these, 52 probes were completed within a time frame of one month," he told newsmen after the panel’s meeting on the fourth quarter review at the MACC Academy in Jalan Duta today.
Disclosing the performance of the MACC in investigations last year, he said the commission had investigated 1,220 corruption cases, 281 more than in 2009. He said 944 suspects, 125 of them foreigners, were detained in connection with the 1,220 cases.
"Some 230 people were prosecuted last year compared to only 43 in 2009. The 400% increase proves that the quality of our investigation has improved," added Hadenan.
Of 230 people charged in court last year, four were politicians while eight were high-ranking government officals.
Fourteen special courts were also set up to speed up hearing of corruption cases.
He said the foreigners, who included eight Singaporeans, 31 Indonesians, 19 Bangladeshis, 23 Myanmars, as well as Nepalese and Chinese nationals, were detained for various corruption offences, such as trying to bribe policemen to avoid having to pay traffic fines or for other offences.
He said out of the 944 suspects, 414 had been arrested as a result of tip-offs from the police, Road Transport Department and various other government agencies.
Hadenan also said informants protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (WPA) will lose protection of the MACC if they give the information to other parties.
"If they report to MACC and at the same time give a copy of the report to PM (prime minister) or others, they will lose protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act."
WPA is a key legislative initiative under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) formulated to curb corruption.
Hadenan said MACC would brief the people on WPA enforced in December last year as it was still new to the country.
On behalf of the seven-member panel, Hadenan also thanked the public for their cooperation and collaboration with the MACC to weed out corruption.
The panel meeting was the last one for the current panel members whose term expires on Feb 24, following which new panel members will be appointed with the consent of the King.
The other panel members are Datuk Dr Hamzah Kassim, Datuk Cecil Abraham, Datin Aminah Pit Abd Raman, Prof Dr Syed Noh Syed Ahmad, D. Walter Sandosam and Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff.
