Lawyer says MACC took Warisan Youth chief to unknown location
By Julia Chan
The Malay Mail Online9 October 2017
Norazmi said that supporters had been waiting anxiously for Warisan Youth chief Mohd Azis Jamman for six hours before being told he had left the building. — Picture by Julia ChanMore
KOTA KINABALU, Oct 9 — Parti Warisan Sabah members expressed anger today at anti-graft officers for taking their Youth chief, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, to an undisclosed location during an interrogation without their knowledge.
Mohd Azis’ lawyer Norazmi Alimat said that supporters had been waiting anxiously for Mohd Azis since 10.30am and were only informed that he was no longer at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Office when he went in to check six hours later.
“They should inform if they bring they are bringing him anywhere. It’s not right that we do not know where he is; we have the right to know,” said Norazmi, adding that he was told that Mohd Azis had left with the investigation team about two or three hours earlier.
Norazmi said that he was allowed to speak to one of the officers believed to be part of the interrogation team on the phone and the latter had only said that they were still in the midst of investigations.
“It is ridiculous that the MACC could refuse to disclose the location of my client,” he said.
Warisan information chief Honorsius Bosuin said: “We are on the verge of panic now. How can they sneak him out after we have been waiting for six hours?
“What if something happens to him that is out of a normal investigation? We are worried about his safety.”
Mohd Azis was called up by anti-graft authorities to assist in ongoing investigations into the misappropriation of RM1.5 billion worth of federal development funds for Sabah.
Earlier, he had arrived at the MACC’s prevention office in Jalan Sulaman here at 10.20am and was hugged by his wife, and about 30 party members and supporters before entering the premises.
Norazmi was with Mohd Azis for about 30 minutes before the actual interrogation and investigation began and he was asked to leave.
Last night, MACC officials visited Azis’ residence while he was out. They agreed that Azis would come to the anti graft office at 10.30pm, but he was later released after a 10-minute chat and told to come back today at 10.30am.
Mohd Azis, 42 is also former Umno Semporna Youth chief, who left the party to join his uncle, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal in setting up Warisan.
MACC has so far arrested three people, including Warisan vice-president and businessman Datuk Peter Anthony, a former assistant development secretary of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry in Putrajaya, and a construction company owner. All three are being remanded.
Its deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said that they would be scrutinising more than 60 companies in their investigation into the suspected siphoning of rural development funds from RM7.5 billion worth of projects over the last six years.
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