WARISAN president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has hit back at corruption accusations against him, challenging his critics to provide proof of a money trail after authorities found nothing.
“They say I have RM1 billion. My bank accounts were checked by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), my house was searched — and they found nothing,” he said in Kota Kinabalu, recently.
Recalling his detention in 2017, Shafie said he was grilled by MACC for two weeks, yet investigators came up empty.
“I was questioned day and night. But there are no videos of me taking money,” Shafie said, referring to viral videos allegedly showing several Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) assemblymen admitting to receiving funds from a businessman in exchange for mining licences.
“Unlike others — there are recordings of them admitting to receiving cash, yet it still wasn’t enough for them.”
Shafie pointed out that these videos aren’t mere hearsay.
“They have videos. It’s not just talk. I raised this at the state assembly, and I told (Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor), ‘Your YBs, your ministers were caught on camera.’ Why isn’t that enough evidence?”
Recently, Warisan critics on social media resurfaced Shafie’s 2018 corruption investigation when he was Rural and Regional Development Minister, following the alleged corruption scandal involving GRS leaders.
A group known as Gerakan Bangkit Sabahan also highlighted the matter, holding a rally alongside the student-led Gempur Rasuah protest on New Year’s Eve.
Observers believe the renewed accusations against Shafie are an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing corruption controversy involving GRS assemblymen.
When asked if the so-called political donations were part of a scheme to buy out Warisan assemblymen, Shafie declined to comment, saying the matter is still under investigation.
“But let’s be serious. If we want to tackle corruption in this country, we need to address it head-on. We can’t keep singing the same old tune.”
He added that the videos clearly showed those implicated were dissatisfied with the amounts they received.
“They were caught saying it themselves — that the money wasn’t enough. What more do we need? The evidence is right there.” - January 7, 2024
