Two questions on ACA's six-year investigations into the RM11 billion Perwaja Steel scandal

(Penang, Sunday): It is good news that the Swiss government has agreed to co-operate with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in its  investigations into the Perwaja Steel scandal in connection with the transfer of RM76.4 million to a non-existent company in Hong Kong via another company in Japan and subsequent final transfer to a Swiss bank account of a firm registered in the British Virgin Islands.

ACA  director-general  Datuk Ahmad Zaki Husin said in Penang yesterday  that the ACA hoped that with the help of the Swiss authorities, some light could be shed and the ACA investigations into Perwaja could "shift into full gear".

Ahmad Zaki's statement is quite extraordinary as it gives  the impression that  the ACA's investigations into the RM11 Perwaja Steel scandal, which ranks as the biggest financial scandal in the nation's history, completely hinge on one item concerning the transfer of RM76.4 million to a non-existent account and that the entire ACA investigations stand or fall on this item.

Malaysians would want Ahmad Zaki to throw more light on ACA's six-year investigations into the RM 11 billion Perwaja Steel scandal on two matters:

• The Accountant-General's Federal Public Accounts 1998 showed that as at the end of 1998, Malaysian taxpayers were  burdened with Perwaja's RM9.1 billion liabilities, comprising RM4.01 billion direct loans to Perwaja Terengganu Sdn. Bhd., RM105 million direct loan to Equal Concept Sdn. Bhd. and RM5.1 billion in government-guaranteed borrowings from local and foreign banks. Current accumulated losses and liabilities should  exceed RM11 billion by now. Are ACA's investigations into the RM11 billion Perwaja scandal  hinge solely on the RM76.4 million item and that it has no leads whatsoever on other corruption and malpractices in Perwaja?

• What is the outcome of ACA's questioning of former Perwaja Steel Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri  Eric Chia at the end of last year. ACA director of investigations Abdul Razak Idris  said in September last year that a team of officers would meet Chia "as soon as possible" following Chia's  statement in the  Singapore Straits Times on his readiness to testify in court and "tell all" about the nation's biggest financial scandal.  Did the ACA special squad get to question Chia at all after his interview with the Singapore press?