PUTRAJAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has hit back at former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador after he said he was disappointed with the body’s findings on the non-existence of a police cartel.

       The EAIC said its commissioners unanimously agreed that without producing evidence on claims of a cartel within the police, Abdul Hamid had lost his right to comment on the issue. Abdul Hamid, it said, did not provide any evidence to support his claim that there was a cartel within the police and neither did he name anyone involved in the “cartel”.

       He also did not raise the issue in any meeting involving Bukit Aman directors, said the agency in a statement yesterday.

       The statement was signed by EAIC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, his deputy and five commissioners.

       “Despite knowing the cartel issue since 2020, Abdul Hamid had not taken any appropriate action in conducting a detailed investigation to resolve the issue before disclosing it to the media,” said EAIC.

       On Feb 23, Abdul Hamid had branded the EAIC’s findings, which concluded that there was no such cartel, as “shallow and incorrect” and claimed that Mohd Sidek was not familiar with “the system” in the police force.

       A day earlier, Mohd Sidek had said the EAIC was unable to determine allegations that there was a “cartel” within the police force as claimed by Abdul Hamid.

       Yesterday, the agency said witnesses during its investigation also stated that Abdul Hamid’s statement made at the last minute before his contract as IGP ended in May 2021 also raised questions about the motives of the disclosure.

       EAIC said the former top cop had also since refused to make further comments to clarify these issues.