KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador (pic) is insisting that the “police cartel” he had complained about does exist, saying that the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission’s (EAIC) inability to unearth the group was deeply disappointing.The former inspector-general of police (IGP) said the EAIC report on the system in the police force was “shallow and incorrect”.

       “On paper, it shows that the process (of appointments, transfers and promotions of police personnel and officers) is transparent and difficult to be manipulated.

       “However, there are bad elements that disrupt the process,” he said when contacted for comments following the release of EAIC’s findings on Tuesday.

       Abdul Hamid said he had been sincere in giving a statement on the matter, adding: “I did it for the sake of country. Be brave for the truth.”

       Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan had said that the EAIC was unable to determine the veracity of Abdul Hamid’s allegations that there was a group within the force calling the shots on appointments and promotions for personal gain.

       Abdul Hamid raised the matter on March 18 and 22 last year, less than two months before his contract expired on May 3, when he was replaced by Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.

       On the EAIC’s findings, Mohd Sidek said: “Based on witness testimonies and documents obtained by the EAIC, we cannot confirm the existence of a cartel within the police force as alleged by Abdul Hamid.

       “The EAIC investigation found that there were officers involved in criminal syndicate activities following investigations conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.

       “However, Abdul Hamid’s claim that the officers were able to arrange positions in the force to control it for personal gain could not be verified.”

       He added that the appointments, promotions and the transfer mechanism practised by the police and the Police Force Commission (PFC) involved a thorough process and had several layers that were difficult to be manipulated by outsiders.

       “The IGP is a permanent member of the PFC and any proposed appointment, promotion and change of police staffing to the PFC must be approved by the IGP.“Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador’s position as IGP cannot be challenged because the appointment of the IGP is based on the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister,” Mohd Sidek said.

       He added that the EAIC’s findings had been submitted to Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.