PUTRAJAYA, April 29 — Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said today the investigation against Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will take time, as the anti-graft body ramps up effort to scrutinise more than RM170 million in seized assets as part of its corruption probe.
Azam confirmed Ismail will be called in for another round of questioning in two weeks’ time, following nine previous interrogations.
“If you ask me, it’s still at just 15 to 20 per cent, because he has to explain the source of all the wealth he declared based on the notice we served,” he told reporters after officiating the South-east Asian Anti-Corruption Conference here.
“But it’s also us needing to verify and check his explanation.”
Ismail is now a key suspect in an ongoing corruption investigation involving hundreds of millions of ringgit in government funds suspected to have been misappropriated during his short tenure as prime minister.
The Bera MP and Umno leader is the second former prime minister to have been implicated in a major corruption scandal in the span of ten years.
Azam said the focus of the investigation is now on Ismail's declared assets.
Among evidence uncovered for the probe were RM170 million in cash and gold bars valued at an estimated RM7 million, confiscated during several raids in March. The MACC chief said the items were found in premises likely used as “safe house”.
The Bera MP has already had his statement recorded nine times and recently listed his assets following the agency’s instruction. Azam did not disclose details of the asset declaration but said the MACC has yet to freeze Ismail’s account.
The flat where the cash and gold bars were found, all kept in three safes, was rented by a suspected proxy, he said in a press conference called shortly after the arrest of several suspects.
