KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki today ended his silence over the issue of acquiring shares of two companies in 2015.

In a press conference at the MACC headquarters this afternoon Azam said that he had willingly given his brother permission to buy shares using his share trading account and had already given an explanation to the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (LPPR)

"In the stock issue I did not commit any wrongdoing, accusations that have said that I have a conflict of interest from my end have no basis,” he said.

"I have already explained to the LPPR panel that my account was used by my younger brother and I do not have any interest or benefit from the stocks.

"The stocks were bought in an open market and have nothing to do with any MACC investigation,” he added.

Azam added that he has decided to take legal action against those who have tarnished his reputation, although he did not divulge further details such as who would be named in his suit.

Azam also said that the accusations were the work of parties — which he left unnamed — who were out to damage his reputation, although he said that he does not know the reasons why someone would do such a thing.

When asked why he took so long to address the issue, Azam said that he did not find it necessary as he was not answerable to anyone other than the LPPR.

"I did not come forward because I did not commit any wrongdoing or conflict of interest… it is not necessary for me to explain to anyone,” he added.

It is understood that the shares in question had already been transferred back to Azam’s brother, Nasir Baki, back in 2015 — based on a statement by LPPR chairman Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang Abu Zahar at the same press conference.

Abu Zahar also vouched for Azam saying that the board had cleared Azam of any wrongdoing or conflict of interest.

This comes after Gomez, a political economics professor, resigned from MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel on December 28 in protest of the organisation’s supposed inaction against allegations of Azam’s ownership of the publicly traded stocks.

After trading statements between Abu Zahar and Gomez in the past week, the MACC agreed to have a press conference today to clear the air.