Latest news with #abuseofpower


Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
EAIC calls for criminal action against Immigration officers involved in illegal medical visa scheme
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has recommended criminal action against several Immigration Department (JIM) officers found to have abused their power by illegally issuing visas for medical purposes to foreigners. The EAIC said the investigation, carried out by a Special Task Force led by EAIC Commissioner Datuk Seri Dr Razali Ab Malik, focused on the issuance of social visit passes under the medical visa category to foreigners from several countries without going through the proper process. According to the EAIC, the investigation included reviewing approval procedures, recording witness statements, seizing documents and preparing recommendations for further action by the authorities. 'The investigation found that there was abuse of power by immigration officers who approved medical visas to foreigners from several countries, despite being aware that the application documents submitted were incomplete and did not comply with the criteria under the Malaysian Immigration Circular No. 10/2001,' it said in a statement today. Following these findings, the EAIC decided to refer the case to the Attorney-General's Chambers in accordance with Paragraph 30(1)© of Act 700. The EAIC said that criminal charges have been recommended against the officers involved under the Penal Code (Act 574); the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155); and/or the Passports Act 1966 (Act 150). — Bernama


Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
EAIC task force: Immigration officers abused power in medical visa approvals, alleged syndicate case referred to AGC
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) said today it found abuse of power and procedural weaknesses in the issuance of medical visas to foreign nationals by Immigration Department officers. It has since referred its findings to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC), recommending charges against the officers under the Penal Code, the Immigration Act 1959/63, and/or the Passports Act 1966. 'The Special Task Force found that there was abuse of power by Immigration officers who approved medical visas for foreign nationals from several countries,' it said in a statement here. '[This is despite them] being aware that the applications submitted were incomplete and did not comply with the provisions outlined in Immigration Circular No. 10/2001.' It said the investigation was carried out by a Special Task Force formed under Section 17 of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009, and led by EAIC Commissioner Datuk Seri Razali Ab. Malik. The task force had reviewed irregularities in the medical visa approval process, including an examination of procedural compliance, witness interviews, document seizures, and the preparation of appropriate recommendations for further action by the authorities. In October last year, EAIC said it seized 156 Social Visit Pass (Medical Treatment Pass category) application files believed to be linked to a medical visa syndicate involving Immigration Department officers. This came after Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban confirmed that the EAIC had visited the Immigration headquarters to conduct further investigations into alleged breaches of integrity involving officers from the department. Reports stated that the syndicate, which had allegedly been operating for some time, had granted medical visas to foreign nationals to enter the country, supposedly for medical services. In February this year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the EAIC had called in 22 Immigration Department officers to assist in the investigation.


Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
PAC to summon Rural and Regional Development Ministry, Felcra over oil palm procurement issues
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) and Felcra Berhad to provide clarification on the Management of Oil Palm Plantation Procurement by Felcra Berhad after hearing the Auditor General's briefing on the Auditor General's Report 2/2025 held today. PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the PAC will also summon the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to provide clarification on the Management of Price Controls and Cooking Oil Subsidies. In addition, the PAC also asked the Ministry of Finance to hold a briefing on the governance of the Tender Procurement Committee. 'For the PAC proceedings on issues in AG's Report 2/2025, PAC will focus on topics identified as having 3P elements, namely misappropriation, abuse of power and wastage, and 1K, namely leakage. 'The date of the proceedings and briefing for the three related topics will be determined later,' she said in a statement today. Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat approved the motion on the Auditor General's Report 2/2025 on the Activities of Ministries/Departments/Statutory Bodies/Federal Government Companies, which contains matters raised as a result of the audit of five programmes, activities and projects in seven ministries. The motion tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was approved with a majority of votes in agreement after being debated by 32 Members of Parliament. Meanwhile, Mas Ermieyati said the PAC will also present two Ministry Follow-up Action Statements on July 28 and 29 namely the PAC Statement on the Follow-up Action by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the Recommendations of the PAC Statement on the Procurement of the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) (DR.4/2025). Another statement involved the PAC Statement on the Follow-up Action by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department and the Sabah State Water Department for the Recommendations of the PAC Statement on the Management of the Sarawak and Sabah Rural Water Supply Project (DR.3/2025). — Bernama


Forbes
7 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Ex-Renault, Nissan Boss Ghosn To Face Corruption Trial In Paris
France's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati (L) and former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn are to face ... More trial accused of corruption and abuse of power. Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA,JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images. After escaping from the fire of Japanese justice in a box, former Nissan and Renault kingpin Carlos Ghosn will now face the frying pan of French justice over corruption charges. Ghosn and former French Minister for Culture, Rachida Dati will stand trial after a long-running investigation into alleged corruption via consultancy fees paid to Dati more than 10 years ago. Ghosn, who escaped Japanese justice (or, if he is to be believed, 'injustice') in 2019 after being detained via house arrest for allegedly defrauding Nissan, is to face trial on a date to be set by a Parisian court in September. Ghosn is now more famous for escaping Japan in a box, flying from Japan to Lebanon by private plane after plot masterminded by Mike Taylor (no relation to the author) and his son, Peter. (Both men were extradited from the USA to Japan and were jailed for their roles in the escape.) Ghosn remained untouched because Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Similary, Lebanon has no extradition treaty with France… The charges stem from the circumstances of consultancy payments made to Dati when she was a member of the European Parliament, and whether she gave any legitimate consultancy advise to earn her fees from Renault-Nissan BV - the entity which oversaw the alliance of Renault and Nissan.


Arab News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
France's culture minister to be tried on corruption charges
'We will appeal this decision today,' Dati's lawyers, Olivier Baratelli and Olivier Pardo, saidDati, a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, was defiant in comments made Monday ahead of the decisionPARIS: France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of corruption and abuse of power while she was a European Parliament member, a judicial source told AFP on a high-profile minister who holds ambitions to become Paris mayor next year, was placed under investigation in 2019 on suspicion she lobbied for the Renault-Nissan car group while at the European Union 59, denies the allegations. She did not respond to an AFP request for comment.'We will appeal this decision today,' Dati's lawyers, Olivier Baratelli and Olivier Pardo, told a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, was defiant in comments made Monday ahead of the decision.'I will lead you to victory. Some people are trying to attack me over my private life, over many aspects that are collateral to my candidacy,' said Dati, who is mayor of the French capital's 7th district that is home to most French ministries, the country's parliament and many foreign embassies.'I am not afraid of anything or anyone.'Dati, who was justice minister under right-wing leader Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2009, will remain in the government, said an associate of President Emmanuel Macron.'The president has taken note of the decision to refer Rachida Dati to the criminal court. As a referral is not a conviction, she will continue her work,' said the associate on condition of is accused of accepting 900,000 euros ($1 million) in lawyer's fees between 2010 and 2012 from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan, but not working for them, while she was an MEP from 2009 to have sought to determine whether she carried out banned lobbying for the carmaker at the European their order signed on Tuesday, a copy of which was seen by AFP, the investigating magistrates said that Dati's activities in parliament 'amounts to lobbying,' which 'appears incompatible with both her mandate and the profession of lawyer.'Initially placed under the more favorable status of assisted witness — a step before being indicted — in 2019, Dati was charged in has since repeatedly sought to have the charges investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chairman and chief executive, be tried, the judicial source 71-year-old, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has also rejected the charges against him.A hearing on September 29 will decide on the date of the trial, the source to another source following the case, the trial could be held after the Paris municipal elections in March next year.'She will go until the end,' Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the French capital's 6th district and one of Dati's close associates, said on who headed the Renault-Nissan alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's jumped bail the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains as an international and France have sought his lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.