PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s son-in-law, Adlan Berhan, has denied being on the run from the law.
In a statement, Adlan’s lawyer said he will return to Malaysia to assist the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with any investigation so long as the “elements of threats and persecution are eliminated”.
“Our client, like any other free citizen of Malaysia, has the right of movement and travel, including overseas, and more so to conduct his business in any part of the world,” said a statement issued by Baljit Singh Sidhu.
“The exercise of these rights by our client should not be construed or mischaracterised as an attempt to avoid or stall investigations.”
On Monday, MACC said it was tracking down Adlan and lawyer Mansoor Saat to assist in its investigation into a project involving the registration, recruitment and storage of foreign worker biometric data at a ministry.
The anti-graft agency said Adlan and Mansoor left the country in May.
Meanwhile, Baljit said Adlan was never arrested or called by MACC for a meeting or to assist in any investigation before he left the country.
He said Adlan was contacted by an MACC officer and had responded in a letter on June 3 that he would be travelling overseas for business, and gave a tentative date for his return. However, Baljit claimed that MACC has not responded to Adlan’s letter.
In the letter, he said, Adlan highlighted the “abnormalities” in MACC’s conduct, including freezing his account and that of his company without any notice or cause.
Claiming that Adlan was “threatened” and “harassed incessantly” by MACC officers, Baljit said Adlan “vehemently denies” any suggestion that he is not contactable.
“He is in communication with the investigating officer in charge of the investigation. He has always stated that he is prepared to cooperate in any investigation as required by law, but will not countenance any threats against him and his family,” he said.
He said all these issues have “clearly established” that the investigation is not being conducted objectively within the legal framework, and thus, is threatening Adlan’s civil liberties, which are protected by the Federal Constitution.
Stressing that Adlan is not a politician, Baljit said his client is “aghast” at any attempt to use him as a tool to obtain political mileage by anyone, including by enforcement agencies.
He said the timing of MACC’s press release on Monday, which was issued less than a week before Saturday’s polls in six states, “suggests that there is political undertone to the entire process”.
“He is not a soft target to be used to get at or to exact comeuppance at any politician,” he said.
“The press release seeking assistance to locate him is thus totally unnecessary. It is also an attempt to malign and humiliate our client.
“Our client is also surprised that the prime minister has seen fit to comment on this issue, which suggests that there is some plot at play.”
At a ceramah in Penang yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Adlan to turn himself in if he thinks he is innocent.
“If he feels that he is not guilty, he should defend himself. Running away is not a good example,” Anwar was quoted as saying in The Star.
