Ex-CID chief ‘declared all’ to MACC, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court was told that former Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Datuk Ku Chin Wah (pix) had declared all his commission from sales of properties to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC Investigating Officer Mohamad Firdaus Ahmad Sobri agreed that Ku had declared to the MACC in Dec 23, 2013, some RM800,000 earned from brokering the sale of several properties between 2008 and 2013.
He also told the court that he only interviewed Ku in January 2014, after he had taken the case from another officer, and had questioned Ku about the amount of commission earned.
He said Ku had also given details of the earnings he made while brokering several properties.
"This included two condominium units in Johor Bahru, where he earned a commission of RM30,000," he said.
When being cross-examined by defence counsel Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, Mohamad Firdaus also agreed that there was no crime in receiving these commissions from the sale of the property.
He also told Judge Sohaini Alias that the commission earned by Ku was then used to buy shares.
However, when re-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Budiman Lutfi Mohamad, Mohamad Firdaus said there was no wrong doing in the investigations.
"The investigations carried out is to determine if there is any element of corruption involved ... However, the failure to comply with Notice under Section 49 (1) (of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001), is outside my jurisdiction," he said.
Ku was charged under Section 49(3) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 for failing to declare his earnings in a sworn statement dated Jan 8, 2014.
The charge occurred between Dec 23, 2013 and Jan 21, 2014 at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
Mohamad also told the court that MACC had started investigations against Ku when Bank Negara Malaysia had notified the commission that Ku had purchased insurance worth more than RM500,000 with cash.
"This prompted the MACC to carry out an investigation on Ku, which includes his family background and financial status," he said.
Mohamad Firdaus also told the court that the MACC first recorded Ku's statement on Dec 23, 2013.
Sohaini then set May 30 for the trial to continue.