PUTRAJAYA: Three celebrities, including a popular singer, provided statements to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today to assist with the ongoing investigation into a corruption and money laundering case under Op Sky, involving a financial consultancy firm.
In a press conference held today, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that the three individuals were only called at 10 am to assist the investigation in various aspects.
“We have called in three celebrities, and I believe they are here to provide statements to my officers,” he said.
Previously, Azam was reported as saying that investigations found that celebrities and artistes had received payments of up to RM400,000 over one to two years as ambassadors of the company for promotional purposes.
MACC has uncovered corruption and money laundering activities involving a financial consultancy firm and bank officers from multiple financial institutions as part of Op Sky.
Regarding the payments made to the celebrities, Azam said that the agency was investigating the amounts involved due to concerns raised about the scale of the payments.
“We are also looking into the extent of the payments made to the celebrities. Such substantial investments in celebrity endorsements would raise red flags for us as investigators,” he said.
When asked about whether the celebrities’ accounts had been frozen, Azam clarified that MACC had not implemented any freezes on the celebrities’ personal accounts. Instead, the focus was on the company’s accounts, which had been frozen.
“Thus far, I’ve been informed that RM18 million has been frozen, and this sum is held in the company’s account,” he confirmed.
Additionally, Azam disclosed that the financial consultancy firm is believed to have encouraged borrowers to reinvest their funds into the company after receiving loan approvals.
“Another modus operandi employed by borrowers, many of whom are government officials, is to be promoted by the company and subsequently reinvest the loan funds back into the company.
He said that this raised concerns that another potential offence, such as illegal deposit taking, may have occurred.
As part of Op Sky, the MACC’s Anti-Money Laundering Division, in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), carried out raids across 24 locations, including residences and offices, around the Klang Valley last Monday, resulting in the arrest of 12 individuals.
To date, a total of 27 individuals have been arrested, including 18 bank officers, eight employees of the financial consultancy firm, and one member of the public. All have been released on MACC bail.
During the operation, MACC seized approximately 4,000 documents and froze 98 bank accounts, which collectively held over RM17 million.
