The Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom said today he had instructed the police to trace authors that spread “lies” through websites.Investigating officer DSP Victor Sanjos, from the police's Cyber Crimes Unit, confirmed that Tan was being investigated under Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972.
According to police sources, Nathaniel Tan was detained in connection to an Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigation against Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom.
Tan’s lawyer Latheefa Koya said the police were investigating a comment posted by an individual on Tan's blog. It is believed that the offending material in his blog refers to allegations of corruption against Johari which appeared in an anonymous website.
The individual had re-published three paragraphs found in the anonymous website which implicated Johari and was the subject of the ACA investigation against him.
It is believed that the police are hunting down the individual who posted the original comment. Read here for more on Malaysiakini
BACKGROUND (read here for more on Malaysiakini)
The Posting on Nathaniel Tan's Blog
The following was posted by an individual on Tan's blog:
In response to the above comment, Nathaniel Tan replied in his blog to the comment as follows:"... Dato' Johari // Feb 10, 2007 at 3:36 pm
The Most Powerful But Corrupted Deputy Minister
YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom, Deputy Minister of Internal Security.
This Deputy Minister is the most powerful Deputy Minister because firstly he works under a very busy minister so all power has to be delegated to him. Secondly, he has got prerogative executive power to order a person to be detained without trail or to be released on his own fancy.
Here are 3 classic cases we can see how YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom, the Deputy Minister of Internal Security had abuse his power and breach the trust from his boss. ie. The Prime Minister. His abuse of power must be seen to have interfering police investigation and a larger extent had also jeoperdise police effort to maintain peace as well as law and order in the country.
The abuse of power by YB Dato Johari must be tantamounted to a corrupt practice and must be stop immediately.
Anti Corruption Agency should be called upon to investigate on both money transaction and also abuse of power that amounting to corrupt practice.
(note from nat: I’m afraid I can’t publish the rest of the comment because the sources were unattributed and the information as of yet unverified. However, you can visit the author’s site, where the exact same information is posted. Apologies and thanks!)The Corruption Case Against Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom
Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum was accused of taking bribes.
He has always denied taking bribes.
(Courtesy of Malaysiakini)
The 'freedom for sale' allegation against Johari first surfaced on the Internet - in a page hosted by free website, Freewebs.com . It accused Johari of freeing suspects linked to gangsterism and vice activities after receiving the payment. One of those released is said to be the younger brother of another deputy minister.
Johari denied the allegation and also accused the police of inaction and not following the ‘standard operating procedure’.
The case was investigated by the ACA while the police conducted an internal probe to ascertain if the release of the detainees was due to incompetency on their part.
The three criminal suspects mentioned in the allegation were named in the website. Two of them were said to be triad bosses from Perak while the other was detained in connection with illegal gaming and book-keeping in Sabah.
Police chief Musa Hassan had confirmed that the three were released. He also said the police are investigating if there were more suspects freed from detention under suspicious circumstances.
However, following a lengthy probe of the claims, Johari Baharom was cleared of graft allegations . The probe found no evidence linking Johari to corruption after allegations he received RM5 million to free dangerous criminals, state media quoted Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail as saying.
"... the attorney-general ordered ACA investigations... against Johari Baharum to be closed," according to a statement made to Bernama news agency. Attorney-General Abdul Gani also said that key witnesses in the investigations could NOT be located.
According to DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng, the premature closure of the investigation "gives the unfortunate impression of a cover-up".
Abdul Gani's statement that the probe had closed, came as Johari Bahrom filed a counter report with the ACA against the Police Chief, Musa Hassan.
Reports circulating on the Internet allege Musa Hassan received a bribe of RM2.1 million to release a group of gangsters, according to Bernama. Johari said he made the ACA report after failing to receive an explanation about the Internet reports from police.
COMMENTARY".. Blogger Nathaniel Tan of jelas.info seemed a bright and personable young man when I met him at a gathering of bloggers in Subang Jaya a couple of months ago. I was shocked when I found out this morning that he has been detained by the police.
It must be noted that Harvard graduate Nat Tan is also a Parti Keadilan Rakyat man and Anwar Ibrahim's secretary for work related to the Foundation of the Future, an international NGO of which the PKR chief is president of.
What gives? Is this country becoming a police state? Or is this is just a plot to strong arm and intimidate opposition politicians?
Well, I'm pissed off enough to know who I am going to vote for in the next GE.
No two ways about this."
".. Fifty years of nationhood. We have to be proud of that.
Nabbing Nat the way they did?
That's how we still deal with opposition party members. Or whoever else?
Today Nat. Tomorrow?"
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