LAHAD DATU ASSEMBLYMAN REMANDED
MACC detains Shafie Apdal’s younger brother after raiding house
DATUK Yusof Apdal is remanded for four days over a MACC probe into the mishandling of federal funds for Sabah.
Yusof, the younger brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie
Apdal, was detained at 10pm on Tuesday, hours after graft-busters raided his house.
LAHAD Datu assemblyman Datuk Yusof Apdal was remanded for four days yesterday to assist the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) probe into the mishandling of federal funds for Sabah.
Yusof, who is the younger brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, also had his house raided on Tuesday at 5.30pm.
A source with the MACC confirmed the raid and Yusof, who is also the Silam Umno division chief, was detained at the commission’s office here the same day at 10pm after giving his statement.
He was brought to court here yesterday and magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie granted the remand application by the MACC.
Yusof, 57, was brought to the court here at 10.30am and entered the courtroom 10 minutes later. About 20 people gathered outside to show their support.
He was represented by lawyers Edward Paul and Peter Lee, while prosecutors Rozanna Abdul Hadi, Mohd Faliq Basirudin and Rustam Sanip appeared for MACC.
Paul said the remand order would expire on Saturday and the counsel had also tendered documents on Yusof’s medical condition to the court.
Yusof is the ninth individual detained by MACC in its ongoing probe into the misappropriation of RM1.5 billion in federal funds under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, which was headed by Shafie between 2009 and 2015.
The probe revolved around 70 projects pertaining to roads as well as water and electricity supply in the state’s interior.
The New Straits Times, in an exclusive report, revealed a scandal that involved senior government officials and corporate figures.
It reported that funds were siphoned off from projects meant for rural areas, including those to help the poor.
Since Oct 5, MACC had detained Warisan Youth chief Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony, Tenom Umno Youth head Jamawi Jaafar, Tawau Umno Youth head Ariffin Kassim and local businessman Yu Sin Kong.
The remand for Shafie’s other younger brother, Hamid Apdal and Hamid’s son-in-law, Manzur Hussein Awal Khan, expired on Friday.
Both had been admitted to a private hospital here. There was a possibility for both to be released earlier.