KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Tan Sri Azam Baki said former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin would have been charged last week except that the latter was hospitalised.
Azam told the Malaysiakini news portal that the Attorney General’s Chambers already gave its approval “over a week ago” to proceed with charges against Daim under the MACC Act.
“When the investigating officer notified his lawyer that Daim needed to be present in court, the counsel informed MACC that Daim had been admitted to a private hospital,” he was quoted as saying.
“We have checked it, and Daim was indeed hospitalised before we received the green light to press charges. However, until today, we could not ascertain why was he hospitalised as the doctor treating him did not reveal what was going on with Daim and instead went back and forth about his situation.”
Azam said Daim will face at least one charge of failing to declare several properties belonging to him and his wife.
The MACC chief said the commission could have requested for a judge to attend the hospital where Daim had been admitted in order to charge the former minister there.
However, he said this would only be done as a last resort or if circumstances required such measures.
Yesterday, Daim’s wife Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid claimed trial at the Session Court to failing to declare assets to the MACC as required, including two companies, two vehicles, and eight properties including the Ilham Tower.
