MACC arrests three over Kuching hotel purchase

KUCHING: The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) yesterday arrested three individuals to facilitate an investigation into the purchase of a four-star hotel here by Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FIC).

According to a source, two of them are directors of a company which was appointed as an agent to handle the purchase of the hotel.

The duo, aged 47 and 51, were taken into custody as they made a visit to the MACC Office in Putrajaya at 9am to give a statement on the case.

The other individual, 57, was arrested at the MACC office here at 1.30pm. He is said to be a director of the hotel concerned.

“A preliminary investigation indicates that the director of the hotel was involved in the appointment of the agent company to handle the purchase of the hotel,” said the source.

MACC Investigation Department director Dato’ Simi Abd Ghani, when contacted, confirmed the arrests.

He said the two directors of the agent company had been remanded for seven days until Aug 4 to facilitate the probe.

According to Simi, the other suspect is also to be remanded today (Sunday).

On Friday, the MACC confirmed that it was launching a probe into the purchase of a four-star hotel here by FIC.

A statement issued by MACC from Putrajaya said its chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad had given the directive to open investigation papers on the purchase of the hotel allegedly bought by FIC at an inflated price in 2014.