UPDATED @ 03:06:08 PM 21-07-2010
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
July 21, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has closed the case against Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat for allegedly accepting a RM10 million donation from a government contractor who is also the leader of Barisan Nasional's backbenchers in Parliament.
Besides the case against Ong, the former Transport Minister and MCA president, the MACC's operations review panel said today that it had also approved the dropping of cases against MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Selangor Mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
The former transport minister had allegedly received a RM10 million donation from Port Klang Free Zone turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) CEO Tiong King Sing during campaigning for the MCA elections in 2008.
MACC operations review panel chairman Tan Sri Hadenan Abdul Jalil told reporters that the case was closed because there was insufficient evidence.
“Datuk Seri (Ong) had announced that he had no involvement and we would like confirm that no further action will be taken in the case because there were no witnesses. We had a witness but the person that made the allegations could not prove who received the money. This is why the panel agreed that this case should be closed,” he said.
Tiong had claimed that he had donated RM10 million to Ong and that he was told the money was to be used for MCA’s division activities.
However Ong in refutation pointed out that during the period Tiong alleged the RM10 million donation was made, he was still the party vice-president and there was no need for him to raise money for the party divisions then.
Today’s announcement will be small victory for Ong because his supporters still claim that his downfall was reprisal for his PKFZ scandal probe.
Besides the RM10 million donation, Tiong also alleged that Ong took free flights on the company's private jet while he was minister and during the probe on PKFZ by the ministry.
Ong was appointed Transport Minister after Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy was forced to retire from the post because of his role in the PKFZ scandal.
As a new minister, Ong initiated investigations into the PKFZ fiasco but was later also implicated in having inappropriate dealings with KDSB.
Ong was forced to admit that he had taken free rides on KDSB's private jets.
In May, Ong suffered a humiliating defeat to Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in a no-holds-barred fight for the MCA presidency and was subsequently dropped from Cabinet.
The MACC also cleared Liow, the MCA deputy president on allegations that he had received a Toyota Alphard as a bribe from a construction company.
Charges against Khalid, the Selangor Mentri Besar were also dropped.
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
July 21, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has closed the case against Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat for allegedly accepting a RM10 million donation from a government contractor who is also the leader of Barisan Nasional's backbenchers in Parliament.
Besides the case against Ong, the former Transport Minister and MCA president, the MACC's operations review panel said today that it had also approved the dropping of cases against MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Selangor Mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
The former transport minister had allegedly received a RM10 million donation from Port Klang Free Zone turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) CEO Tiong King Sing during campaigning for the MCA elections in 2008.
MACC operations review panel chairman Tan Sri Hadenan Abdul Jalil told reporters that the case was closed because there was insufficient evidence.
“Datuk Seri (Ong) had announced that he had no involvement and we would like confirm that no further action will be taken in the case because there were no witnesses. We had a witness but the person that made the allegations could not prove who received the money. This is why the panel agreed that this case should be closed,” he said.
Tiong had claimed that he had donated RM10 million to Ong and that he was told the money was to be used for MCA’s division activities.
However Ong in refutation pointed out that during the period Tiong alleged the RM10 million donation was made, he was still the party vice-president and there was no need for him to raise money for the party divisions then.
Today’s announcement will be small victory for Ong because his supporters still claim that his downfall was reprisal for his PKFZ scandal probe.
Besides the RM10 million donation, Tiong also alleged that Ong took free flights on the company's private jet while he was minister and during the probe on PKFZ by the ministry.
Ong was appointed Transport Minister after Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy was forced to retire from the post because of his role in the PKFZ scandal.
As a new minister, Ong initiated investigations into the PKFZ fiasco but was later also implicated in having inappropriate dealings with KDSB.
Ong was forced to admit that he had taken free rides on KDSB's private jets.
In May, Ong suffered a humiliating defeat to Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in a no-holds-barred fight for the MCA presidency and was subsequently dropped from Cabinet.
The MACC also cleared Liow, the MCA deputy president on allegations that he had received a Toyota Alphard as a bribe from a construction company.
Charges against Khalid, the Selangor Mentri Besar were also dropped.
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