Exco member’s aide arrested in anti-graft sting

 

(The Star) – The aide is an office bearer of the Permatang Pauh PKR division and is now a coordinator for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the constituency.

The aide of a Penang state exco member has been arrested in an anti-graft sting.

The man, in his 50s, and two others were arrested for allegedly offering a bribe and abuse of power over a sexual harassment case.

They were alleged to have given RM30,000 to a woman as an inducement for her to drop a sexual harassment complaint on a top civil servant.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission director of investigations Datuk Mustafar Ali confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate.

The woman, a clerk, had earlier complained that her former employer had sexually harassed her. The civil servant was produced in court to be charged several months ago.

The civil servant then sought the help from his friend, the political secretary. The latter then contacted the woman.

A source familiar with the investigations said that the woman lodged a report with the commission which mounted a sting operation late on the night of Jan 3 at a restaurant in Seberang Jaya.

At the meeting with the woman, three of them allegedly dropped off the hush money to her.

It was only after the money changed hands and the woman was forced to sign a document promising not to continue with the court case, that anti-graft officers moved in.

“They were arrested on the spot at about 11.30pm,” said the source.

The source added that the three were held for about 24 hours after they were first arrested. They have since been released on bail.

The aide is an office bearer of the Permatang Pauh PKR division and is now a coordinator for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the constituency.

He is also said to be a powerful figure in the Penanti state constituency.

The three are likely to be charged in court once the commission wraps up its investigations.