Thursday, 13 October 2016
Musa: I was offered RM2mil to ignore crimes
KUALA LUMPUR: There’s big money being offered to the corrupt. Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan (pic) says he was offered RM2mil a month as payment to turn a blind eye on the activities of the criminal underworld.
They messed with the wrong man. The then top cop not only turned them down but went on to clamp down hard on organised crime.
“When I was there, the syndicates offered me RM2mil per month to allow them to run gambling, prostitution, drugs and loan shark activities unchecked.
“I refused and made sure they were taken down,” he said after attending a seminar on integrity for public servants at the Farmers’ Organisation Authority headquarters on Jalan Sultan Salahuddin on Wednesday.
Musa said he went on to nab several high-profile kingpins during his time in the force.
“Corruption needs to be stamped out and there is no place for it in the force,” he said.
He added that he was even accused of taking bribes when he was an Investigating Officer in Malacca.
“An officer from the then Anti-Corruption Agency told me I was being investigated because some of my subordinates were using my name to ask for bribes.
“I told the officer to go ahead and arrest them. Such people should not be given any leeway,” he said.
When he was IGP, Musa said he had a no-nonsense approach against organised crime. One of his major successes was when he arrested seven suspected Malaysian gang leaders, including one with links to Singapore gangs, in July 2007.
This was shortly after he ordered a massive shake-up of the anti-vice, gaming and secret society unit (D7), serious crimes and even interrogation units in the Klang Valley and Johor, transferring almost all of the Johor D7 unit out of the state.
A month later, Musa scored another major scalp when he took down an “untouchable” crime lord of one of the most powerful syndicates in the country in Johor Baru.
When asked if other IGPs also received similar offers, Musa said he did not know.
“I didn’t even accept hampers when I was IGP. We, as senior officers, have to lead by example and show our men the right path,” he said.
Meanwhile, Musa said both the Bersih and Red Shirts taking part in the nationwide convoy was in the wrong as they are not following the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
“They are both wrong. Neither of them is following the law,” he said of the tense face-offs and occasionally violent clashes between the two groups.
Asked if Bersih 5 should be allowed to proceed, Musa said its organisers should apply for permission.
“If they get it, then by all means. But if they do not get it, then they should not,” he said.
