After being disgraced and facing five trumped-up charges of non-disclosure of his assets, from which he was later acquitted, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Ramli Yusuff was honoured with an official retirement ceremony by inspector-general of police (IGP) Ismail Omar in Bukit Aman today.

Ramli, in his farewell speech, lashed out at the present attorney-general (AG), Abdul Gani Patail, and former IGP Musa Hassan.

He said he never imagined the force would fall for the devious behaviour of the previous IGP and the current AG.

“It took over five years for my cases to be ruled upon by the justice system and my total innocence to be confirmed.

“Not only were the press and AG’s office ready to use any means necessary to try and get a guilty verdict against me, but also for the first time in history, a serving IGP testified against one of his own directors when he gave evidence contradicting several of his other officers including those of the rank of director. Ultimately, the judge rebuked that IGP for his incredulous witness testimony,” he said.

Ramli, who had been a career police officer for 38 years, was referring to what is now known as Copgate .

Not only was Ramli charged, his lawyer Rosli Dahlan and six junior officers investigating Copgate were also charged. Rosli and the six junior officers were also acquitted without their defence being called.

“Even when the six junior officer, my friend and I were all acquitted without our defence being called, that IGP (Musa) did not see fit to recognise my innocence in any manner nor provided any words of support for one of his own top officers after being totally deemed innocent by the justice system.

“The AG abused his dominant position to perpetuate our miseries and wasted additional taxpayers resources to appeal all of the innocent verdicts. These verdicts have all been upheld by the superior courts,” said Ramli.

Some of the former officers present in the event included former Selangor police chief Dell Akbar Khan, present Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, Johor police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff, Bukit Aman deputy CID chief Hadi Ho Abdullah, Ramli’s wife Anita Haron, a Sessions Court judge, and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission adviser Robert Phang. 

Ismail bringing winds of change

Ramli further credited Ismail with bringing the winds of change when he agreed to maintain the six junior officers in their rightful place in the force.

Some of the officers had to drive taxis to make ends meet when they were suspended.

“Today we see the force closing ranks in esprit de corps, feeling togetherness, restoring the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood within the force. This can only herald a better future for the force.

“That is how the force should function. In return, it is the incumbent duty of the leadership within the force to protect its officers. The previous leadership discarded that cardinal principle and almost destroyed the fabric that makes the force what it is. The previous leadership acted in his own interest,” he said.

Striking back at Musa, Ramli called on members of the force and retirees to rally behind Ismail.

“We must all support him (Ismail) while retirees must not undermine him like what is being done by the former IGP, casting doubt on police statistics on crime. That is dishonourable. Thus the force must be wary of the enemies from within,” he said, in obvious reference to Musa’s rebuke of Ismail.

Ramli also credited his wife with sticking by him through adversities when he was charged. He described the stress faced by Anita as unimaginable, seeing him being paraded before the court corridors for public scorn and ridicule.

“She was not supposed to be with an accused because she is a judge. As a result she faced her own challenges as she was transferred to Ipoh because she was beside me when I was charged,” he said.

Ramli also recognised that the world and Malaysia is rapidly changing and the police had to also change in tandem to remain relevant and this is probably something with which the force has yet to come to grips.

Saying he is willing to help the force adapt to the global challenges, the former top cop who has set up his own private practise in 2009 said now police would be required to interact more with society, and improve its training and enforcing of the law.

In the event, he vowed to use his RM753,000 gratuity from his retirement to build a mosque for his kampung in Kampung Bunut Susu in Pasir Mas, where a wakaf land has been identified.

Ramli was given the official retirement ceremony after he had been cleared of all the charges. He had first been charged in 2007, months before he was due to retire.

During the event, he and Anita were given a send-off by riding on a special vehicle, accompanied by the police bagpipes playing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ as officers lined the road leading out of Bukit Aman, to salute him as he exited to his official retirement.

Ismail also handed Ramli his police retirement card and mementos during the event.