KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has given his statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), local media reported, following the agency’s move to freeze the party’s bank accounts recently.
The New Straits Times said the former prime minister gave his statement to the anti-graft body in Putrajaya yesterday over its probe into RM300 million supposedly given to the party by contractors for projects during Muhyiddin’s administration.
NST said prior to recording Muhyiddin’s statement, MACC had also taken the statements of other Bersatu leaders.
Its investigations will likely be ready “in a week or two” for handover to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the paper said, quoting sources.
Earlier this month, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that Bersatu’s accounts had been frozen for investigations under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.
However, it was not clear then which case the party’s accounts had been frozen in connection with.
The freezing of Bersatu’s accounts followed the arrest of a chief executive officer (CEO) of a private company last month who was suspected of acting as a ‘middleman’ in the distribution of projects under the stimulus packages from 2020 to 2022.
MACC has also been probing allegations that RM92.5 billion in economic stimulus funds were misappropriated when Muhyiddin was prime minister.
However, last week, Muhyiddin denied another allegation that he had been involved in awarding a contract for the National Integrated Immigration System to Iris Corporation Bhd, a company linked to his son-in-law while he was prime minister. – The Vibes, February 17, 2023
