The MACC’s oversight panel says it has found no evidence of investigations being deliberately delayed or shelved, with most cases completed on time.

GENTING HIGHLANDS: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Operations Evaluation Panel (PPO) has found no evidence that cases are being deliberately delayed or ‘shelved’.

Its chairman, Datuk Ahmad Rosli Mohd Sham, said most investigation papers are completed within the agency’s set deadlines.

“The evaluation looks at several aspects, the first being whether there are any weaknesses in the investigation that need to be addressed,” he said.

He explained that the panel monitors the percentage of cases completed within prescribed timeframes, including a 12-month cap for certain investigations.

Ahmad Rosli said it is rare for the panel to question why a target was missed, and only then would an explanation be requested.

“It is not a matter of deliberately delaying action, dragging investigations, or shelving cases. We have not found any evidence of that,” he told reporters at a journalism workshop here.

He added that the panel also reviews cases classified as “no further action” (NFA) to ensure no investigative angles were overlooked.

From 2009 until last year, the MACC submitted 1,869 NFA investigation papers to the PPO for evaluation.

The panel agreed with 1,760 of those NFA decisions, while directing 136 cases for further review.

“If an investigation fails to consider a particular angle, we provide instructions or advice to explore it further,” Ahmad Rosli said.

This includes situations where a probe may not reveal a corruption offence but could uncover other potential violations.

He also noted that the MACC is receptive to the panel’s feedback and recommendations.

“When we provide comments, the MACC does not become defensive or try to justify itself. They take our feedback into account,” he said.

This includes advice on strengthening the expertise of its investigators.

 The Sun Malaysia