KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Two Umno-linked men then unaffiliated with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Inc signed the firm’s agreement to purchases property in Melbourne, the National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) said today.

NOW executive director Rafizi Ramli said that the 746 Swanston Street purchase agreement was signed by Erwan Azizi and Izmir Abdul Hamid as directors of the purchasing entity, Thrushcross Land Holdings.

Although the firm is now wholly-owned by MARA Inc, the Pandan MP noted that it was only officially registered after the properties were purchased.

“NOW suspects that when the property was purchased as reported to MARA management, all the documents were signed by individuals that had no relation to MARA, on behalf of MARA,” Rafizi said during a press conference at the NOW headquarters today.

Referencing a report from business daily The Edge from February, Rafizi explained that Erwan was listed as a shareholder at Optimus Capital Sdn Bhd as well as Mazrul Haizad Maarof, who he said is the brother-in-law to Umno Youth executive council member Dazma Shah Daud.

Erwan was also a non-executive director at Biosis Group Berhad, Rafizi said, a company that Umno Youth deputy leader Datuk Khairul Azwan Harun is chairman of.

“There is a leakage of RM63 million that needs to be answered for by the individuals I’ve named today... And whether or not they have any Umno Youth positions or individuals close to them,” he said.

“Erwan Azizi and Izmir Abdul Hamid are business partners and have business interests with Umno and Umno Youth leadership,” he claimed.

He also urged that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin be held accountable and provide an explanation for the involvement of the Umno Youth leaders in the property transactions.

“Khairy Jamaluddin must step forward and give an explanation about the individuals involved, who are connected to Umno Youth and this scandal.

“The information given to me states that they were the brokers to these transactions and maybe even earned a profit from the business dealings, so it is only fair for Khairy Jamaluddin to give an explanation,” he said.

Thrushcross Land Holdings, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, also lists MARA Inc chairman Datuk Mohammad Lan Allani and MARA Inc chief executive Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rahim as directors.

NOW has been scrutinising MARA Inc’s Melbourne purchases since Australian daily The Age ran a story on the firm’s Dudley International House buy that exposed links between top MARA officials and certain businessmen connected to the ruling Barisan Nasional.

According to the Australian daily’s expose, MARA Inc had allegedly overpaid A$4.75mil (RM13.8 million) for Dudley House, which was purportedly used as a form of kickbacks.

Last Tuesday, NOW alleged that apart from Dudley House, which MARA Inc reportedly bought for RM67.2 million, the firm also bought three other properties – 746 Swanston Street for RM138.6 million, 333 Exhibition Street for RM99.2 million and 51 Queens Street for RM70.4 million.

The total sum paid for all four properties was RM375.4 million, the oversight body revealed.

Rafizi said last week that the four property purchases were suspicious as they were either bought through an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands or wired through three different companies in three different countries.