The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today attempted to show it seriousness in adopting the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry by unveiling to the media a newly-completed interrogation room - located at the basement of its Putrajaya headquarters.

NONE Thirty-six of these state-of-the-art interrogation rooms, costing between RM140,000 and RM160,000 each, will be put be built nationwide to show the MACC's "transparency" in recording statements from witnesses or those accused.

The differing costs are because some of the MACC offices having their own premises, while others are rented units.

MACC director of investigations Mustafar Ali said a similar system had been adopted by the anti-graft authorities in Hong Kong.

"Witnesses or suspects will be taken to the interrogation room where their statements will be recorded visually, and also on audio via recording equipment.

"For suspects, we will provide a copy of the recording. For witnesses, we will produce the recording (in court) if they turn hostile while giving testimony in court.

"If there is a discrepancy in their testimony in court we will produce it," Mustafar said.

There will be two “video interviewing rooms” (VIR) at its headquarters in Putrajaya, two at its academy on Jalan Duta and four at the MACC office in Perak.

The VIR rooms will also be equipped with two computer monitors, where one for the suspects/witnesses to view while the other is where the recording officers will type out the statements.

There will also be a digital time and temperature to monitor the room.

NONE There is also a two way mirror for people to monitor the recording.

With this move, he hoped, the MACC's reputation as an graft fighting body would be restored.

"Actually, our morale remains high despite the RCI's recommendations," Mustafar ( right ) said when showing media personnel around the bunker-style interrogation room located underground, on Level B1, of the MACC HQ in Putrajaya.

Some of the recommendations, and the moves by the MACC, include having interrogation rooms underground.

No possibility of tampering

Mustafar said one of the recommendations of the RCI was to upgrade its facilities and the VIR room was one.

There would be two cameras in the rooms, one monitoring the room for 24 hours and the other switched on only when statements from witnesses and the accused are done.

Asked of a possibility of the recording being of tampered with, as was allegedly done with the CCTV recordings of the Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed case, Mustafar said there was none.

NONE According to deputy head of investigations III Idris Zaharuddin, there is one recording camera which will run for 24 hours.

“It will show the time, up to seconds of the recording made. Hence, there will not be any lapse in the recording, for if there is anything wrong, it will be shown on the screen,” he said.

Idris said copy would only be handed to suspects and that their lawyers would be allowed to be in the interrogation room.

“We are being very transparent in this, for there should not be any allegation against the MACC,” he stressed.

Even if there was a power outage, Idris said, the digital watch, computer screen and recording device would still be functioning.

No more suspensions

Mustafar also told reporters that there would be no further suspension, other that the three the RCI report recommended.

He said the MACC internal investigations would be submitted to its complaints committee for further action.

“It is still being looked into following the internal inquiry. There will be no further suspension, other than the list given by the RCI and the MACC,” Mustafar said.

The three officers suspended are former Selangor investigations unit head Hishamuddin Hashim, investigations officer Mohd Anuar Ismail and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.

Hishamuddin, who is now the Negri Sembilan MACC director, and the other two officers were found to have used “ agresif dan tidak wajar ” (aggressive, inappropriate) interrogation. 

Several quarters, including Pakatan Rakyat leaders, have called on them to be charged over the death of Teo Beng Hock. The Bar Council had also called on the MACC to apologise to the Teoh family.