3 EX-FIC BOARD MEMBERS GIVE STATEMENTS ON LONDON BUY
This is to help in MACC’s probe into the purchase of the luxury hotel
THREE former Felda Investment Corporation (FIC) board members were present at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here yesterday to have their statements recorded to assist investigations into the purchase of a luxury hotel in London by FIC.
The three were Datuk Nik Azman Mohamed Zain, who is also FIC director, Datuk Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun and Datuk Dr Omar Salim. All three arrived separately at the commission here at 9am.
Nik Azman was seen leaving the headquarters at 12.55pm after giving his statement for four hours.
“I was asked to come to MACC today and that is why I am here to give my statement. They (MACC) only recorded normal conversations to assist in the investigations,” he said.
Omar and Noor Ehsanuddin, on the other hand, walked out of the building at 1.30pm and 3pm.
Noor Ehsanuddin said the interrogation was a normal procedure in the ongoing probe.
MACC is investigating FIC’s purchase of a property in Kensington, London, between 2013 and 2015 for £60mil (RM330mil), as well as its 2014 purchase of a Kuching hotel, which has 213 guest rooms and apartment suites. The purchases have raised suspicions of corruption and abuse of power.
It is believed that FIC had paid between RM40 million and RM50 million more than the market value of the Kuching hotel. FIC is the investment arm of Felda.
Nine people have been remanded for investigations into the purchase of the hotels.
Among them are former FIC chief executive officer Zaid Abdul Jalil and former special officer to the previous Felda chairman, Muhammad Zahid Md. Arip, released on bail yesterday.
The magistrate’s court here yesterday also extended the remand order against a 44-yearold lawyer assisting MACC in its probe into the purchase of the London hotel.
The four-day extension order issued by magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman will expire on Saturday.
The lawyer’s 29-year-old legal assistant, however, was released on a RM100,000 MACC bail. The duo were detained at the commission here on Aug 3 after they were called in for questioning.
It was reported that they were working at a Kuala Lumpurbased law firm and had been involved in managing the documentation of the sale and purchase agreement between the original owner and a third company, before it was sold to FIC.
The lawyer also had links with the owner of the company which made the sale and purchase transaction with FIC.