PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) blitz in connection with its probe into a multi-million ringgit corruption scandal continued on Sunday night, with raids on two more “safe houses” linked to a senior politician, said its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
The latest raids bring to three the number of safe houses the MACC had descended on in connection with the probe into irregularities involving a sand mining concession under a subsidiary of Selangor Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).
In its first swoop on Saturday, the MACC recovered S$1.52 million (RM5 million) during its raid on a Kuala Lumpur apartment which acted as a safe house for the politician. The commission had discovered that the politician, who is believed to be from the Opposition, had made investments in Singapore.
This discovery led investigators to two additional safe houses during several raids conducted around Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley and Selangor on Saturday and Sunday.
In Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Azam declined to provide details of the alleged investments in Singapore or identify the politician involved but said he would be summoned for questioning once more evidence had been gathered.
“We need to gather all the evidence and verify them first, before making the call,” he said, adding that more money could be hidden in other safe houses or banks.
Azam said in the latest raid on the two safe houses, more than S$74,000 (RM243,000) was seized from an apartment while the second location, identified as an office, coughed up RM78,000.
“I am confident that the ongoing probe will reveal more safe houses where alleged corruption money has been stashed. Our probe is still ongoing and intelligence is being gathered. We are also checking if money has been deposited in any bank.
“We are still following the money trail, and additional arrests or witnesses may be called as the investigation expands.”
Azam said the MACC has so far arrested four people, including a company director.
He added that a 45-year-old man who previously worked in MBI was released after being detained for a day due to prostate cancer-related health complications.
He said a 43-year-old driver was also freed after three days in custody, while a 46-year-old woman, who was a finance officer at a company linked to MBI was freed after a similar three-day remand.
The remaining suspect in custody is a man in his 40s who was remanded on Oct 10, with his detention extended until Oct 15. So far, 15 witnesses have been interviewed and more will likely be called to assist in the probe.
The MACC is also said to have frozen some 15 bank accounts belonging to various individuals and companies, including those believed to have been used as a vehicle to channel corrupt funds.
The case is being pursued under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act.
