Dr M denies ex-ACA chief put in cold storage
Giam Say Khoon (sun)

PUTRAJAYA (March 14, 2007): Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied that former Sabah Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) chief Mohd Ramli Manan was put in cold storage for investigating former land and cooperative development minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam's corruption case.
Mahathir said people were making all kinds of accusations against him and there seemed to be a concerted effort to make his name "as dirty as possible".

"Show evidence that I have done these things," he told reporters after presenting the Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce's honorary member recipients award to 12 new members here today.

Mahathir said that normally, he did not know what the ACA was doing unless it brought the case up to him.

He agreed that if the ACA wanted to charge a minister, he would be informed.

Ramli had also alleged in an interview in malaysiakini.com that Mahathir was not happy when Kasitah was being investigated.

"How did he know that I was not happy? It is very easy for him to say it because he knows that I cannot be bothered to take action against him," he said.

Asked whether it was true that during his administration, the ACA had to seek his approval before investigating a case, Mahathir said it was nonsense.

"Do you mean (to say) I spend all my time doing all that work (going through ACA cases)? If it is a minister, I would have to know," he said.

"Newspapers are now being censored, you all know, but dare not say anything against the government. During my time, a lot of things were said and people also campaigned against me but I didn't stop them."

Asked about the on-going investigation into allegations against ACA director-general Zulkipli Mat Noor and whether he knew of this when he appointed Zulkipli as the ACA chief, Mahathir said he did not know whether Zulkipli was a corrupt man or not. Neither did he know him personally.

On Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum's case, Mahathir said he was sure Johari had not taken "one sen".

"You can be sure after the investigations, he would be completely clear and cannot be found guilty." he said.

Asked why he would say that because Johari was allegedly involved in a Kubang Pasu vote-buying incident during the Umno party elections, Mahathir said it was because "they had decided not to go further after someone was forced to resign from his post".