KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Akmal Nasir, the director of the anti-graft group leading the series of power abuse claims against a local charity foundation and the federal minister in charge, today took his allegations to the police, hoping the authority will launch a full probe on the matter.

In his report, the National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) chief repeated the laundry list of claims he made over the week against the foundation — Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (Yapeim) — and the minister, Islamic affairs minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, and urged the police to start an investigation.

According to Akmal, who now faces a lawsuit threat by Jamil Khir, the report was lodged as a preemptive response to questions he expects the public to raise later on why the police never investigated his claims.

“The report was made so that the police investigations can begin. We don’t want it to be that in the future, when people ask why there are no investigations and the reason be because there was no police report lodged.

“So here is the report,” he told reporters outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters here.

Akmal said he believes Jamil Khir was also planning to lodge a police report against him, and questioned the minister’s denial of his claims.

“Previously he warned about taking legal action if I didn’t apologise, and then now I am hearing word that he is lodging a police report,” he said.

“Whatever his motive in lodging a police report, it is his prerogative. But the priority should be on where all the money has gone, not who is exposing the issue. So I hope investigations don’t get sidetracked from this objective,” he added.

NOW has been running a series of what it asserts are exposés on alleged power abuse by Yapeim.

In its first exposé on Monday, the group asked if money meant for Yapeim had been used for the Rompin by-election after alleging that RM223,000 had been transferred to the account of its deputy chief, a Wanita Umno leader, during the campaign period.

Later, Akmal alleged that Yapeim’s deputy, her husband and her son have a combined monthly income of RM81,700 from their positions in the foundation’s various institutions and subsidiaries.

The Wanita Umno leader alone allegedly earns RM45,500 a month from her seven Yapeim positions, he claimed.

Akmal also alleged that Yapeim’s president rakes in a monthly income of RM73,000 through his 11 Yapeim positions.

On Friday, Akmal alleged in another one of his press conferences that Jamil Khir had last year used orphanage funds for a US shopping and golfing trip.

In his initial claim, Akmal said the trip allegedly funded by Yayasan Pembangunan Anak Yatim/Miskin (Pemangkin), an institution under the watch of Yapeim, which falls under Jamil Khir’s purview, had cost more than RM410,000.

Jamil Khir on Friday responded to the initial allegation, saying he visited the US in his official capacity as the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, and demanded that his accuser retracted his remarks or face legal action.

Yesterday, however, the NOW chief disclosed a document that showed the trip amounted to some RM590,000.

Malay Mail Online was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the document.

Akmal also refused yesterday to apologise for the allegation, saying instead that Jamil Khir should be explaining the matter to the donors who contributed to Yapeim.