SEPANG: The country’s top graft buster, Azam Baki, says a former prime minister and the aides who served under him will be called in for questioning.
“As of now, one former prime minister will be called in very soon,” he told reporters.
When asked whether it was the ninth prime minister who would be called in, Azam said that the MACC would summon a “former prime minister and his former aides”.
Last week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) launched investigations into RM700 million allegedly used for promotional and publicity purposes to showcase the government’s achievements during the two previous administrations from 2020 to 2022.
Azam added that MACC wanted to find out how the money was spent.
“We don’t have queries on how the money was approved … (it is) how it was spent and who the companies receiving it were. Our duty is to investigate how the money was spent,” he said.
Azam also said MACC had called up the companies which received the funds.
In December, police said they would investigate a report lodged by an Umno leader into the possible misuse of RM700 million in public funds meant for federal government publicity campaigns from 2020 to 2022.
According to Bernama, Wangsa Maju police chief Ashari Abu Samah had confirmed receiving the report and said police would contact the finance ministry for clarification.
Meanwhile, Azam said MACC’s investigation into Aman Palestin was still ongoing.
“We are still investigating the money that was spent, including the companies involved. Our probe is on whether the funds were actually sent to a Palestinian group,” he said.
In November, MACC froze 41 bank accounts belonging to Aman Palestin and several other companies – which had a combined total of RM15.8 million – as part of an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of RM70 million by the NGO.
The investigation involves claims that the NGO funnelled the money into these companies. This probe is being carried out under the MACC Act 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and the Penal Code.
