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Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ED names Kerala CPM units laundering scam accused
NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate making Kerala district units of CPM accused in a money laundering case arising from embezzlement ofRs 150 crore from Thrissur-based Karuvannur Cooperative Bank is only the second instance of a political formation being named as an accused in a case. ED has made the CPM units accused in the latest prosecution complaint (chargesheet) filed before a special court. The other accused include senior party netas from the state, including Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan, who was interrogated last month. CPM has become the second party (or its district unit) to be made an accused after AAP. AAP was made an accused after its senior neta Manish Sisodia, while seeking Supreme Court relief, argued that since his party, that was alleged to have received bribes, had not been made an accused, he could not be booked under PMLA. In both the cases, ED has treated the parties (AAP and CPM) like a company defined under section 70 of PMLA and booked them for laundering money or receiving bribes. According to officials aware of the investigation, rather than the central unit of CPM, it is the local district units that have been named in the chargesheet, as they, through their secretaries, opened accounts to receive funds from the "proceeds of crime". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo ED in its investigation report said the CPM units in question maintained at least 25 undisclosed accounts with several cooperative societies in the name of area committees, with a total balance of Rs 1.7 crore and fixed deposits of Rs 64 lakh, as of Nov 30, 2023. Many of these bank accounts were not disclosed by the party. "On perusal of the balance sheet, it was noticed that the 25 bank accounts of 17 area committees of CPM had not been disclosed. The actual deposits in these undisclosed accounts over the past 10 years is projected to be more than Rs 100 crore, since the said figures are only the closing balances as of Nov 30, 2023," a source said. The audited balance sheets of CPM, with partial disclosures, were submitted to ED by then Thrissur district committee secretary MM Varghese during his questioning. "Undisclosed accounts have been opened by local committee secretaries in the name of CPM Porathissery North local committee (a/c no 5578); CPM party building fund (a/c no 9513), CPM Porthissery South local committee (a/c no 8858); CPM area conference souvenir (a/c no 5580) in Karuvannur Service Co-operative bank," ED had earlier stated in an affidavit before the Kerala high court during a related case hearing. ED has found the opening of the party bank accounts in violation of bye-laws of Societies Act as this was done without granting any membership. The sources of deposits in these bank accounts, according to the ED probe, were party levy, party fund, election fund, building fund, collection from beneficiary loanees who were sanctioned illegal loans from the cooperative bank and contributions by nominated board members, who, in turn, collected funds from loanees.
Rakyat Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Rakyat Post
Police Operation On 70 Falun Gong Members During Chinese President's Malaysia Visit Draws Attention
Subscribe to our FREE Malaysian authorities detained over 70 Falun Gong practitioners in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit last month, leading to discussions about law enforcement procedures and religious assembly rights. The operation, conducted on 13 April at a shop lot in Cheras, resulted in the arrest of 47 Malaysian citizens and 29 Chinese nationals. Falun Gong practitioner Jane Teo told TRP that the group was gathered for what participants describe as a book reading session. The 29-year-old from Kuantan, Pahang, and her Johorean husband, Max Chua, 45, were among those detained. We were questioned about potential activities during Xi's upcoming visit. The couple states they were released on 17 April, after Xi departed from Malaysia. According to Teo, many Chinese nationals were held much longer, only gaining their release more than a week later. She alleged that authorities deliberately prolonged the detention period and exploited legal technicalities by classifying it as an 'investigation' rather than an arrest, which would have required stricter procedural timelines. Police Chief Defends Arrests, Cites Legal Procedures Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Rusdi Isa confirms the arrests, explaining they were conducted under the Societies Act due to the group's status as an unregistered organisation. 'When a group is illegal, it means they are not allowed to conduct any activity,' Rusdi stated at a press conference, emphasising that all actions followed proper legal procedures. The police chief explained that the extended detention period for some individuals was necessary due to the large number of statements that needed to be collected. When the number is big, police have to collect statements from all of them, so it takes time. Unexpected Crackdown Despite Prior Warning Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual movement that emerged in China in the 1990s, has faced restrictions in various countries. It is closely associated with Teo said the arrests caught the practitioners off guard despite what she claims were prior warnings from authorities to pause their activities during Xi's visit. We have conducted activities in Malaysia for many years, including regular public awareness campaigns about organ transplant issues in Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang district. Group Seeks Local Support, Points to International Protection Measures Before this incident, members say they had operated without significant interference. Initial concerns were about the detained Chinese nationals, mostly women, being deported to China. Teo revealed they are seeking support from Malaysian artist Namewee, known for his vocal criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to advocate for their cause. She also expressed hope that the recent U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the READ MORE : Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
New Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Police say arrests of Falun Gong followers followed the law
KUALA LUMPUR: Police acted in accordance with the law when taking action against Falun Gong followers prior to the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping, said Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa. "We made many arrests. It was not just one or two people. Some were remanded for two days, while others were remanded for three days," he told reporters today. He added that the City Criminal Investigations Department (CID) chief, Senior Assistant Commissioner Mohd Razali Mohd Idrus, was instructed to take stern action against the group, as they are an illegal organisation and not permitted to conduct any activities in the country. "Claims that we received instructions from higher-ups are baseless. It was I who ordered it. "The issue was referred to me. As long as our actions followed the law and were deemed necessary, we proceeded accordingly," he said. Rusdi cited Section 43 of the Societies Act, which stated that action can be taken against any member of an unlawful society. Section 43 states that any person who is or acts as a member of an unlawful society, attends a meeting of an unlawful society, or provides money or any aid to or for the purposes of an unlawful society, commits an offence and, upon conviction, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit, or both. When asked if the police had received intelligence that the group planned to hold demonstrations, Rusdi declined to comment, saying that such matters were part of the police tradecraft. "Intelligence gathering is conducted every day, and we cannot reveal it," he said.
The Star
27-04-2025
- The Star
Secret societies and thug gangs ‘rule' the streets, say police
KUALA LUMPUR: Unlike what was portrayed in the movie The Godfather, Malaysia fortunately has no mafia, but secret societies and thug gangs 'rule' here. Criminal gangs are defined in three categories according to the Societies Act – triads, secret societies and thug gangs. Triads refer to big criminal groups with an organised structure such as the mafia in the west or the yakuza in Japan. Triad members move about secretly and conduct their activities – such as money laundering and international crimes – systematically. 'Such gangs are not found in Malaysia,' said Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus (pic). As for secret societies, he explained that these gangs could have up to 300 members but do not have an organised structure. 'Secret societies have been inherited for generations, involving many ethnicities,' he said. 'Among those that have been identified are the 360, 24, 08, 36 and 77 gangs. They move discreetly but not on the same level as a triad,' he said in an interview. DCP Fadil said members of secret societies would communicate using codes and logos. 'They have oath-taking rituals, such as swearing to be a member for life,' he added. DCP Fadil said secret societies have their own hierarchy with leaders calling the shots. 'The lower-rank members must abide by every order or instruction given by the leaders. 'Their top leadership is accorded with names such as Tok Ayah, Ayahanda, Abang Long and Abang Kawasan, depending on their turfs,' he said. Lastly, DCP Fadil said that 'thug gangs' in Malaysia refer to small groups that operate in rural areas. 'They do not have fixed names. Instead, the name of the group will be that of its leader. They also do not have oath-taking ceremonies.' DCP Fadil said that these thugs do not present a significant security threat but the police are nevertheless keeping an eye on them. 'These small-time gangsters are mostly involved in crimes such as small-scale drug pushing,' he said. He added that secret societies and thug gangs have long existed in the country, with members comprising people of various races and backgrounds. The Star reported on Saturday that Bukit Aman is pushing for stricter laws to stop the increasing violence committed by gangs in Malaysia. Some of these gangs are recruiting members via social media.
The Star
26-04-2025
- The Star
Harsher laws needed to stop gangs
Bukit Aman deputy CID director, DCP Datuk Fadil Marsus at Bukit Aman on March 17, 2025. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star 'We must tackle the problem before they become like the Mafia or Yakuza' KUALA LUMPUR: Criminal gangs are growing more violent, and resorting to social media to recruit members – so harsher and more wide-ranging laws are needed to stop them. The police, especially the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), need stronger laws as the current laws are just not enough, said CID deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus ( pic ). 'Action can only be taken against criminal gangs based on the Penal Code. It is not enough,' he said, adding that organised criminal gangs pose a major threat. On April 14, a gang leader was involved in a slashing attack at a mall in Seremban. He and two others were detained in Port Dickson within 24 hours. On April 23, a man lost all five fingers on his left hand when he was attacked by a group of men in front of a restaurant in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, due to a disagreement between the '21' and '36' gangs. DCP Fadil said these criminal gangs have to be tackled pre-emptively. 'Even if the police know about a criminal case linked to a gang, based on information and intelligence gathered, we cannot take action on all of its members. 'There are constraints in the process of gathering evidence, obtaining remand orders and charging them in court,' he said in an interview. DCP Fadil said if the gang members are involved in armed robberies or assault, they will be charged with that specific offence. 'We cannot take action on other crimes although we know they are active in extortion, threats, collecting protection money as well as drug and contraband smuggling,' he said, adding that gangs are now turning to kidnappings as well. 'Currently, we are also relying on the Societies Act. It is hard to take a sterner approach towards violent crimes by these gangs. 'I am not saying the Act is weak but (what I'm saying) is we need another law that would enable stronger action aimed at prevention. 'For example, in some cases, police can only detain and prosecute three or four offenders due to the burden of proof, although many more in the gang may have been involved,' he said. 'They (the gangs) have various ways to avoid being identified. They wear masks, gloves or balaclavas. How can we bring them to justice although we know they committed the crime?' DCP Fadil hoped the government would seriously consider introducing a new law for the sake of safety and public order. 'We need a more aggressive and suitable law to tackle the gang problem in the country,' he said. 'These gangs are recruiting and even targeting students. We don't want a day where gangs expand on a large scale and become more structured and organised, like the Mafia in Europe and Yakuza in Japan.' DCP Fadil also said criminal gangs or secret societies are now using social media to recruit new members, especially teenagers and students. 'It is a new approach on top of their traditional tactics of directly recruiting students outside schools,' he said. 'It is a new way for secret societies to recruit new members using popular influencers on social media. 'This new tactic was detected by Bukit Aman Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7). Thus, we need laws to combat and thwart such recruitments. 'We have already identified criminal gangs that are being promoted on social media by influencers. 'We are not ruling out the possibility that the influencers are also part of the gangs,' DCP Fadil said. He said the gangs survive through criminal activities. 'They resort to robberies, extortions, illegal gambling, human trafficking as well as smuggling. They are also involved in protection rackets,' he added.
