More cash found in Mohd Arif’s house
THE STAR
Loads of cash: The foreign currencies seized by the MACC officers at Mohd Arif’s house in Subang Jaya.
PETALING JAYA: Foreign currencies worth about RM550,000 were the latest seizure made in the house of Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman by a team of graft-busters in a follow-up visit.
The cash was in various denominations of British pound, Euros and Singaporean dollars.
It is learnt that the currencies were initially in the room of Mohd Arif’s wife before these were taken out and kept in their maid’s room for “safekeeping”.
Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretary-general Mohd Arif’s house in USJ 3, Subang Jaya, is a huge double-storey terrace corner lot with at least eight rooms.
“We believe the currencies were taken out by the suspect’s fourth son with the intention to smuggle them out to a relative’s house later.
“But a team from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) visited the house again today (yesterday) to conduct further checks and stumbled upon the hidden cash,” said a source.
A statement has been recorded from the suspect’s fourth son, who is in his 20s, on the seizure of cash to assist in investigations.
To date, there is no new arrest in relation to the case.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the latest seizure.
He said more time was needed for his officers to work on the probe, centring on allegations of corruption, abuse of power and money laundering that dated back to 2010.
On Wednesday, the MACC arrested Mohd Arif at his home just as he was about to leave for work.
His two other sons, aged 29 and 34, were also arrested at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya after they were called in for questioning. All three have been remanded until Jan 11 to help in the probe.
Officers who had earlier conducted a 12-hour search at Mohd Arif’s house found gold bars and foreign currencies, estimated at RM3mil, in addition to 150 luxury handbags and branded watches.
In a follow-up bust, another RM2.6mil worth of gold bars and cash were also confiscated from safe deposit boxes in several banks.
The MACC was also in the midst of tracing some 10 plots of land acquired by Mohd Arif when he was serving under the Selangor state government.
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