GEORGE TOWN, May 24 — Police may record Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow’s statement to aid investigations into a man who allegedly offered to donate Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines to Penang.
Penang police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan said police had already recorded statements from seven individuals, including the man who wrote the offer letter to Penang.
“Investigations are ongoing, including recording of statements from several other parties, maybe even the chief minister or his aide, to complete the investigation papers.
“The man, in his 50s, who offered the vaccine had given his statement, and admitted writing the letter himself and signing it,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
He said police were gathering more information about Xintai Development Enterprise Ltd to confirm whether the company really offered to donate the vaccines.
Sahabudin said the man claimed to have been verbally appointed as an agent by the company but had no appointment letter to show.
“Further investigation may take a while because of the need to get information on the company in Hong Kong and the police also need to look into several things and information related to the case,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Sections 420 and 511 of the Penal Code.
Last Tuesday, the state government urged the Health Ministry to approve the offer of two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from a private company after its initial application was rejected.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister, later said that the purported donation from a Hong Kong-based company was fake. — Bernama
