KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) should probe the local Finance Ministry (MOF) for the RM115 million corruption case involving a Sabah utility, a state assemblyman suggested today.
Likas assemblyman Junz Wong said instead of shifting the blame to the federal government, the authorities should investigate all state-level ministries first to find more details on the corruption scandal.
“The MACC should extend full investigation on the Ministry of Finance on state level first then the MOF on federal level, instead.
“Both the state and federal MOF could provide more answers as they would then be able to reveal where and when the fundings were approved and allocated and to who!,” he said in a statement today.
Wong was responding to Tenom MP Datuk Raime Unggi who said corruption of such a scale must logically involved collusion at the federal Rural and Regional Development Ministry and not just limited to Sabah alone.
The ministry had then been headed by former Umno vice president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who has been targeted as one of the key players in the corruption case by several critics including Raime.
Wong, who recently quit DAP, added that instead of blaming the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, the MOF should be held responsible as it approved the funding for the project.
“Raime should explain to the public why he called for investigation to be extended to only the Rural and Regional Development Ministry when the Ministry of Finance was the one approving the fund,” he said.
Instead, Wong alleged that the money seized from the officer’s homes by the MACC could have come out from the state coffers.
“There is a high possibility that the staggering amount of moneys found in state civil officers’ offices and houses could have come from the Sabah state funds instead of federal funds, right?
“Between 2012 to 2016, Sabah State Government had in fact approved budget allocations of at least RM450 million to RM710 million for water concessionaire’s maintenance contracts.
“These budget were tabled by Sabah Finance Minister and supported by the Sabah Infrastructure Minister,” he claimed.
The MACC last week exposed what it described as the largest case of corruption locally with the arrest of two senior department officials in Sabah.
The 54-year-old director, his 51-year-old deputy, his 55-year-old businessman brother who carries the title ‘Datuk’, and his accountant are currently being investigated for corruption involving RM3.3 billion involving federal projects awarded to 38 firms belonging to the two siblings and proxies.
Some RM115 million worth of cash, bank accounts, 20kg of jewellery, 94 handbags and foreign currency were seized from the duo along with nine luxury cars, watches, and 127 land grants.
At least 46 people are being called up for statements, including staff and contractors of the Water Department, including family members of those involved.
A special MACC task force involving 70 personnel has been working on the case since last year and is unexpected to uncover more money in bank accounts abroad.
