Four MBI officers called up by MACC to give statements on controversial RM16 million payments
HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN
New Straits TimesAugust 24, 2017
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has recorded statements from four Selangor Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) officers as part of the probe into irregularities involving RM16 million.
MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said more were witnesses would be called up to assist in the investigation.
"The investigation is being carried out as there was a report lodged with us.
“We are in the process of gathering statements from witnesses," he told reporters after the opening ceremony of MACC's new building at Presint 7 here today.
On whether there would be arrests soon, Azam said the commission was now focusing only on recording statements from witnesses.
MBI, Universiti of Selangor (Unisel) and Jana Niaga Sdn Bhd came under the spotlight on Tuesday, when MACC initiated investigations into two suspicious payments totalling RM16 million.
It was reported that MBI made the payments twice to Jana Niaga, even though its contract to maintain the student accommodation at the campus in Bestari Jaya, had allegedly been terminated by Unisel in 2012.
The payments were believed to have been made in two instalments of RM10 million in 2015 and RM6 million last year.
The contract was terminated due to Jana Niaga’s failure in executing its duties to maintain the hostel at Bestari Jaya as underlined in the contract with Unisel.
MACC also conducted a simultaneous eight-hour operations on the same day, raiding Unisel’s main campus in Bestari Jaya and in Section 7; Jana Niaga offices in Desa Pandan (Kuala Lumpur) and Bestari Jaya as well as the MBI office in Section 14, Shah Alam, seizing 10 boxes filled with documents.
