Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan says he has no knowledge of gambling kingpin Paul Phua Wei Seng. – January 6, 2015.Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua Wei Seng is turning out to be a hot potato no one wants to touch after a letter by the home minister clearing him of involvement with a triad was retracted by Putrajaya, with former top cop Tan Sri Musa Hassan now denying any knowledge of the Sarawakian who is facing illegal gambling charges in the US with his son.Musa, a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), said he had no knowledge of Phua's activities or who he was, saying such investigation work was done by the police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).He also said questions about Phua should be directed to the current IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar."I don't know him. You ask the home minister. Why ask me? Even in my time, I didn't know everything as those who did the work were the CID," Musa, who was IGP from 2006 to 2010, told The Malaysian Insider.Musa also denied the existence of a triad called 14K here, saying the group operated in Hong Kong and Macau.Phua was believed to have been a member of the triad, prompting his lawyers to seek a letter of support from Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to refute the allegation. The letter was tendered to the court in Las Vegas where Phua faces illegal gaming charges.In the December 18 letter, Zahid in addition to saying that Phua was not a member of the triad, said the gang did not exist in Malaysia. The minister had also said that the Sarawakian had helped the government with several "national security projects", without specifying what these were.However, Putrajaya has now ordered Phua's lawyers to retract the letter.Zahid has become the target of criticism by opposition politicians and even Malay rights group Perkasa, whose secretary Azrul Akmal Saharudin asked today if the home minister had acted unilaterally or had sought the Attorney-General's advice in writing the letter.Musa said questions about Phua should be directed to Khalid, and criticised the current IGP for refusing to clarify the confusion about the 14K triad and Phua raised by Zahid's letter.Khalid had refused to comment on the letter, saying he did not want to jeopardise Phua's court case in the United States. He also denied that the 14K triad operated in Malaysia.But Musa said Khalid should be able to explain who Phua was because all records on his gambling activities would be held by the authorities."All the records are with them. They should be able to show the records. I don't hold any records," Musa said.He also denied knowing anything about the national security projects Phua had supposedly assisted the government with."Ask the minister," Musa said.Phua, 50, a former casino owner in Macau, and his son, face charges of illegal bookmaking in Las Vegas after being arrested by police at the Caesars Palace hotel during the FIFA World Cup in July last year.An online message found on Phua's computer during a police raid suggested that bets of the alleged operation reached a "grand total" of HK$2.7 billion (RM1.22 billion), according to court documents.American federal prosecutors alleged they made a profit of US$13 million (RM45.5 million) in June and July on football bets.Phua's lawyers are challenging the admissibility of evidence, including the online message, in court.The South China Morning Post, in a report on December 31, broke the news about Zahid's letter, addressed to FBI deputy director Mark F. Giuliano, which stated that Phua was not a member of Hong Kong's 14K triad.But the allegation that Phua was a triad member had been based on an FBI internal document previously submitted to the court, and was based on information given by the Malaysian police to the FBI's representative in Kuala Lumpur.This, however, was denied by Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who explained that Zahid did not vouch for Phua as his letter was merely a response given to Phua's lawyer. – January 6, 2015.
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