ACA needs 100 forensic construction engineering experts: D-G
09/10/2004 utusan.com.my

JOHOR BAHRU Oct 8 - The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) needs 100 officers with expertise in forensic construction engineering so that it will have adequate resources to probe such cases, its Director-General, Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, said Friday.

Till todate, 52 ACA officers have been trained in that field to equip them with the technical knowledge when carrying out investigations, he said.

"ACA investigating officers must learn this field to enable them to understand the technical aspects in the course of investigations.

"Since we introduced the course last year, there is improvement in the quality of investigations of our officers," he told reporters after closing the ACA-UTM (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) Forensic Construction Engineering course.

Zulkifli said the course was one of the modules that would be emphasised in the training programme at the ACA Academy to be set up next year.

When the academy at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, starts operations, training in that field could be extended to other enforcement agencies and the private sector, he said.

Twenty-four ACA officers - five with the rank of superintendents, three senior assistant superintendents and 16 assistant superintendents - attended the course at UTM since Aug 2.

Zulkipli reminded the officers, who have completed the course, to carry out their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law and procedures.

"Your task is to assist the divisions and the states to conduct investigations on corruption and irregularities in forensic construction engineering right from scratch," he said.

The course, comprising practical training, visits to project sites, lectures and laboratory tests.

UTM lecturers with expertise in construction engineering will help in case studies.

Apart from Forensic Construction Engineering, the federal agency also have 90 officers trained in forensic accountancy.

Zulkipli also said Malaysia would host a four-day regional graft prevention forum beginning Monday.

It will be attended by graft-busting agencies from Asia-Pacific countries like South Korea, Singapore, New South Wales and Hong Kong.

He said Malaysia's selection to host the forum was a recognition by Asia-Pacific countries to its ability and readiness to handle corruption prevention issues at global level.