Khir Toyo charge not show or gimmick: PM Najib

Published: Thursday December 9, 2010 MYT 4:36:00 PM
Updated: Thursday December 9, 2010 MYT 5:32:25 PM
Khir Toyo charge not show or gimmick: PM Najib
By DHARMENDER SINGH

PUTRAJAYA: The prosecution of former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo for land fraud is not a case of selective prosecution or a gimmick by the Government, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday.

Najib said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had scrutinised the facts of the case in detail before reporting it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), which then decided there were enough grounds to take the case to court.

He said the prosecution was result of the work carried out by two independent bodies, the MACC and the AGC, and they had followed all the necessary processes before taking the case to court.

"We are not using the prosecution as a gimmick. How is it a sandiwara (sideshow) if he (Dr Khir) has been charged?

"This is what happens when a curruption case is turned into political issue. They want to slam the Government by making it look as though we are not serious (in fighting corruption), we are covering up or we are conducting selective prosecution," he told press conference here after witnessing the signing of a pledge to combat corruption by five bodies representing businesses.

The bodies are the Malaysia Chamber of Commerce, Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Najib was commenting on claims by the Opposition that Dr Khir's prosecution was no more than a gimmick by the Government ahead of the next general election.

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