There are efforts by ‘certain powers’ to hide main witnesses involved in the SRC International scandal, claimed the former police special branch deputy director Abdul Hamid Bador.

Without going into details, he said one of main witnesses was previously hidden in Indonesia and Thailand, and is now in hiding in New Zealand.

“There are efforts to hide the main witnesses. They are those wanted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“There are efforts (such that) the witness hides himself with the help of certain powers,” he said in a press conference today.

Yesterday, the MACC summoned controversial businessman Low Taek Jho, popularly known as Jho Low, SRC International managing director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil and director Suboh Md Yassin to come in for questioning.

Later that day, Low in a statement said he will cooperate with the probe into SRC International Sdn Bhd and his representative will contact MACC.

Earlier the Finance Ministry had been unable to locate Low, according to former public accounts committee (PAC) chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed on July 27.

"We don't know where he is. We have to find him first," he was reported saying.

Nik Faisal and Suboh had also reportedly gone missing late last month.

I'll explain if gov't won't

Abdul Hamid also said the Special Branch had advised the government to explain clearly to the people about the 1MDB money scandal.

However, he said their advice was not taken seriously.

"Two years ago, we already told the government this. They said they felt confident that they could explain what was happening.

"Unfortunately, until now it is still unclear. They thought it is so easy," he said.

Without naming anyone, Abdul Hamid then called on those responsible to come forward to explain to the public what was really going on.

Otherwise, he said, he might hold another press conference to do the explaining for the government.
"The confusion right now is over 1MDB. Come forward. Explain what happened.

"You have to be brave, be a man and come forward. If the explanation is true, the people will accept it.

"Maybe if there is a need for it in the future, I humbly offer myself to come forward to explain further (about the 1MDB issues)," he said.

'Trying to scare officers'

The officer who had served 37 years in the SB accused the aforementioned "certain powers" of meddling in the work of the enforcement agencies and issuing statements to scare enforcement officers.

When asked to clarify who the "certain powers" were whom he said was responsible for him being transferred, Abdul Hamid remained coy.

"You see who is giving the statements? That is the person.

"The one who has been giving warnings about this and that, who have been telling government officers that they can't do this or that," he said, without mentioning any names.