KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The High Court was told today that no decision was made to investigate the chief executive officer (CEO) of Baitulmal Professional Institute (IPB) Dr Syed Omar Syed Agil after he claimed that there were financial mismanagement in the IPB.
IPB chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Ibrahim, 78, said this was because no decision on Syed Omar’s case was made by the Board of Directors at a meeting held on July 31, 2015.
Instead, he said the meeting discussed other issues including loans for Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) special officers.
“During the board meeting, we did not decide to have an investigation conducted on Syed Omar,” he said when cross-examined by lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad.
On March 17, the court granted permission to Syed Omar to cross-examine three IPB officers, including Ismail, in relation to a legal suit he filed against IPB for carrying out an internal investigation against him.
When asked by Amer Hamzah if there were complaints of financial mismanagement as alleged by Syed Omar, Ismail replied ‘Yes’, before adding that he had heard about it from someone else and that there was no concrete evidence.
The hearing before Judge Datuk John Louis O’Hara continues tomorrow.
On Jan 4, the court also granted an interim injunction to Syed Omar until the disposal of the inter-parte injunction and his originating summons against the IPB, wherein 70 per cent of its shares is held by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP).
On Dec 16, 2015, Syed Omar filed the originating summons against IPB Sdn Bhd, which runs the institute and sought, among others, an injunction order wherein the defendant, whether by its officers, servants or agents, be restrained from continuing the internal investigation against him in relation to the disciplinary notice dated October 6, last year.
He also demanded the institute to immediately cease the disciplinary notice.
In his affidavit, Syed Omar claimed that on Aug 14 last year, he lodged a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysian Police on Sept 1, over the financial mismanagement by the institute’s officers or its employees.
He claimed that on Sept 2, the police issued a notice confirming that his Disclosure of Improper Conduct was being investigated under the Penal Code.
He contended that he had produced the relevant documents and accounts to the police, and on Sept 29, the institute received a written order by the MACC directing a search of the institute’s premises and a seizure of documents.
Syed Omar claimed on Oct 6, 2015, he received a notice from the institute informing him that the internal investigation against him had been instituted from Oct 6 last year until today. — Bernama
