Look like Bank Negara Malaysia official probably involve in sex bribe for currency printing contracts as reported by Australia The Age Newspaper. The allegations were made on ABC television by a key witness in a long-running Federal Police investigation into the international operations of Securency, which provides the polymer base for high security paper currency. Responding a query by Starbiz in relation to Bernama report on the investigation in Britain, Indonesia and Malaysia for alleged bribery by the currency-printing subsidiaries of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Securency and Note Printing Australia (NPA) are the currency-printing subsidiaries. Bank Negara stated they taking a very tough and serious stand on the procurement of currency-printing contracts.
“Bank Negara takes a very serious view on any irregular practices to secure currency-printing contracts, and in this particular case, on the allegations of such practices by the currency-printing companies from Australia. We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities involved in the investigation of this matter,” it said in a statement.
“As a central bank, we adhere to rigorous procurement procedures in the appointment of external vendors. In the appointment of currency printers, Bank Negara’s policy does not allow for dealings or award of contracts through agents. NPA was commissioned to print RM50 commemorative notes in 1998 and RM5 polymer banknotes in 2004, 2006 and 2007.”
It is also learnt that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was working closely with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on the alleged bribery and did not want the matter to be publicised for fear of jeopardising the investigations. Immediate action will be taken once evidence comes to light. Citing The Age newspaper, the report said Securency and NPA were under scrutiny for allegedly paying more than US$50mil to middlemen in several countries, including Malaysia, after being awarded note-printing and supply contracts by foreign central banks. It said the MACC was helping AFP trace the A$4mil Securency paid its Malaysian agent, Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad, after winning a 2004 currency-printing contract.
Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad also involved in a 2004 case of black market link on supplying a nuclear weapon to Pakistan. Securency and NPA engaged Abdul Kayum in the late 1990s to lobby Malaysian government and banking officials to adopt the Australian-made polymer banknotes. Abdul Kayum's former business associates had told The Age that the man claimed to have high-level political connections in Malaysia that he could use to help strike deals for foreign companies. The Age disclosed that Abdul Kayum's Kuala Lumpur investment company Aksavest is alleged to have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions from Securency and NPA. By late 2007, the Reserve Bank had ordered NPA to sever ties with Abdul Kayum and its other overseas middlemen due to integrity concerns.
Source: The Star Malaysia, Asian correspondent.
