Latest news with #MutualLegalAssistance
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fresh intel triggers eight new MACC investigation papers on Daim's overseas holdings, says Azam
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has received fresh intelligence from foreign agencies concerning high-value assets allegedly owned by the late former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin and his family. According to Harian Metro, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the agency has opened eight new investigation papers based on the information received. 'We are now looking into assets that were not previously declared to us,' he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today. 'The latest details point to the ownership of substantial assets by the late Daim, his family and associates that were not declared.' Azam said the assets have been traced to Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Singapore and several other countries. 'We are currently in communication with foreign authorities to obtain further information. The process is complex and must follow legal protocols such as Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA),' he was quoted as saying. To date, about RM2 billion in assets linked to Daim have been frozen since investigations began in February 2023. Azam said the latest findings will be subject to investigation, and if it is confirmed that the assets were undeclared, it could constitute an offence. 'Despite Tun Daim's death, we will recommend that the assets in question be forfeited to the government, subject to the Deputy Public Prosecutor's discretion,' he reportedly said. He added that witnesses, including proxies and family members, are being called in to verify whether the assets were lawfully acquired. 'I've instructed investigating officers to complete work on the eight new papers within approximately two months,' he was quoted as saying by the national daily.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Interpol to investigate international links in 2023 Kalamassery blast case
KOCHI: Interpol has decided to investigate the international links in the 2023 Kalamassery blast case, which claimed eight lives during a Jehovah's Witnesses convention. The probe follows a request from the Kerala Police, routed through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) earlier this year. The twin IED blasts occurred on October 29, 2023, at a convention centre in Kalamassery during a prayer meeting, killing eight people and injuring 53. On the same day, Dominic Martin, a resident of Kochi, took responsibility for the attack via a social media post and later surrendered to the police. Investigators later found that Martin had worked in Dubai for several years before returning to Kochi a few months prior to the incident. In January 2024, the Kerala government permitted the police to initiate the Mutual Legal Assistance proceedings with the UAE. Subsequently, MHA forwarded the request to the Interpol authorities in Dubai to assist with the investigation. 'Recently, we received information that Interpol has begun processing the Mutual Legal Assistance request. The authorities in Dubai have agreed to provide the information we sought as part of the investigation. The Interpol-linked agency in Dubai will conduct an inquiry based on our request and the findings will be shared with us through MHA,' a senior police officer told TNIE. Kerala Police have requested information regarding Martin's stay in Dubai, his known associates, and whether he had any prior criminal involvement during his time there. Meanwhile, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses has reported receiving a threat from a Malaysian phone number.
Express Tribune
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Supreme Court Questions Delays in Legal Pact for Arshad Sharif Murder Probe
Listen to article The Supreme Court of Pakistan has raised concerns over delays in finalising a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreement with Kenya, a key step in the Arshad Sharif murder investigation. A six-member constitutional bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the suo motu case on Friday, Express News reported. The Additional Attorney General (AAG) informed the court that the agreement had been signed and would be sent for presidential approval within a month. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi questioned why the pact, signed on December 10, 2023, had not yet been ratified. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail asked if the court needed to demand daily progress reports. The bench also referenced Pakistan's extradition of Daesh commander Sharifullah to the US, questioning how it proceeded despite the absence of a prisoner exchange treaty. "A journalist was brutally murdered, yet the Pakistani government has not supported his family in Kenya," Justice Rizvi remarked. The Interior Ministry's joint secretary stated that the Foreign Ministry had been notified about the agreement on February 27, prompting further questions from the bench about why it took two months after the last hearing to act. Arshad Sharif's widow, Javeria Siddique, informed the court that Kenya's High Court had ordered action against police officers involved in the murder, but the Kenyan government had appealed the ruling. She noted that Pakistan had neither intervened nor offered support. Justice Mandokhail asked, "If a woman is fighting the case alone in Kenya, why is the government reluctant to assist her?" The AAG argued that Pakistan was not being granted access to the crime scene, which was essential for the investigation. He emphasised that Pakistan could only become a party to the case once the MLA agreement was fully implemented. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar observed that the suo motu case had remained pending for years. The counsel for Arshad Sharif's mother requested a copy of the fact-finding report, which the AAG said had already been leaked to the media. The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing for one month, seeking an update on the agreement's approval. Journalist Arshad Sharif had gone into self-imposed exile and moved to Kenya following a spate of cases against him in Pakistan. His murder in October 2022 sparked a legal battle in Kenya, leading to a court ruling that police acted unlawfully in his death. The case, initiated by Sharif's widow, Javeria Siddique, alongside Kenyan journalist groups, accused top police and legal officials of arbitrarily and unlawfully killing Sharif and failing to conduct a proper investigation. Sharif, a prominent journalist, was shot in the head when Kenyan police opened fire on his vehicle, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity. His death drew international condemnation and renewed scrutiny over extrajudicial killings by Kenyan security forces. The issue of police excessive force and unlawful killings in Kenya has been a long-standing concern for human rights groups.
