KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 — The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today confirmed that an investigation has been initiated to look into a claim that Umno paid RM90 million to PAS leaders to secure their support for the party.
MACC in a statement today said the Commission will start investigating the claim now that they have received a report from the police regarding the allegation.
"A member of the public lodged a police report regarding the allegation yesterday.
"The police has forwarded the report to us to proceed with the next course of action," MACC said in a statement.
The Commission added that it would use existing laws under its jurisdiction to investigate the case.
Earlier a MACC source had told Bernama that the probe was being conducted in accordance with the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The source further added that MACC would call up several people for questioning as part of its investigation and urged all quarters to exercise patience and not make any kind of speculation pertaining the case.
Yesterday Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Youth deputy chief Muhammad Faiz Fadzil today said that MACC should not wait for an official report to investigate the allegation that PAS leaders had allegedly received RM90 million from Umno.
In a statement, he explained that the MACC Act 2009 allows for the commission to investigate the allegations without an official complaint.
Muhammad Faiz said MACC can already obtain the necessary information from the public court trial that took place between PAS President Datuk Seri Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown on the allegations.
On Saturday, news broke that Abdul Hadi had settled his defamation suit against Rewcastle Brown out of court. The details of their settlement, however, were not made public.
