MACC arrests Parti Warisan Sabah president’s brother
HAMID Apdal was detained in Kota Kinabalu last night in connection with investigations into the misappropriation of federal funds. Meanwhile, Warisan’s Youth chief and two Sabah Umno Youth leaders were remanded for five days.
THE Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) has detained the younger brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to assist in the probe into misappropriation of Federal Government funds for Sabah.
The commission’s investigating officers raided Hamid Apdal’s house at 6pm after he presented himself at the MACC office here yesterday morning to give his statement.
A MACC source said Shafie’s 52-year-old brother was detained at 9.30pm.
MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (operation) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed the arrest.
MACC officers had gone to his house in Taman Bersatu Putatan here on Monday night, but no one was at home.
However, Hamid turned up at the Sabah MACC office here yesterday morning to give his statement.
On Monday, MACC detained Parti Warisan Sabah Youth chief Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, Tenom Umno Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar and Tawau Umno Youth chief Ariffin Kassim as part of its investigation.
Their arrests came after Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony and a businessman were detained last Thursday.
The five individuals have since been remanded.
A source said statements from representatives of more than 30 companies had been recorded.
“The commission has summoned witnesses, mostly from the companies involved in the projects.
“But, we are looking for a few more people to provide details on how these companies secured contracts.
“Investigators are looking into whether middlemen or someone from the ministry helped lobby for these projects,” the source said.
It was reported that MACC’s initial investigations revealed the selection of 65 companies was made under dubious circumstances. Some were awarded more than two projects.
The source said most of these companies were found to have sublet the projects to sub-contractors, causing the cost to go up.
“Most of these companies did not carry out the works. Instead, they ‘sold’ the contracts to others… thus, it involved two payments, one for the main contractors and another for these brokers. Investigators are looking into whether it involved commissions, or if there were elements of bribery.
“They are conducting money trails and checking the companies’ financial records,” the source said.
It was reported about 350 projects were awarded to 260 companies.
The projects were carried out between 2010 and last year in nine districts in Sabah — Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Kota Belud, Ranau, Beaufort, Keningau, Lahad Datu, Tawau and Sandakan.
MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki had said the probedetected RM1.5 billion was mishandled from the allocated RM7.5 billion for projects in Sabah.