Pamela Ling's family lawyer slams MACC for false statements
by AZALEA AZUAR
THE family lawyer of Pamela Ling has criticised the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission (MACC) for making false statements and accused it of intimidation and abuse of process.
Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo accused MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki of misleading the public. She claimed that he falsely stated that Ling was never a suspect and was merely called in as a witness.
'He should come clean about who ordered Ling's arrest and inexcusable treatment, even though her role was merely that of a witness, instead of making statements which are shockingly untrue,' Sangeet said in a statement.
The lawyer also explained that MACC obtained an arrest warrant for Ling from the Johor Bahru Magistrate's Court on Dec 2, 2024, and detained her on Jan 8 this year following her handover by Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
She was then transported with handcuffs from the border to Johor Bahru and then to Putrajaya where she was held overnight.
Ling was then formally arrested under the Anti-money Laundering, Anti-terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act and remanded for three days with interrogation and phone confiscation. She was then released on RM35,000 bail, subject to monthly MACC reporting and a travel ban.
Sangeet believed that the MACC's handling of Ling was inconsistent with how a witness would be treated, alleging that the agency had 'hounded' Ling rather than simply summoning her.
Sangeet highlighted that the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision to grant leave to challenge the arrest warrant and travel restriction further weakens the MACC's claims, characterising its actions as clear harassment that erodes public trust in national institutions.
In May last year, the MACC launched an investigation on Ling and her husband, Datuk Seri Thomas Hah, after they were suspected of corruption and money-laundering activities.
The High Court granted leave for Ling to continue her judicial review, despite her ongoing disappearance, challenging her arrest and travel ban by the MACC and immigration DG.
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