‘Firm offers compensations to get victims retract complaints’
KUCHING: A company allegedly involved in a major housing and property investment scam has attempted to offer compensations to the victims so that they would retract their complaints, said Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO).
MHO secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said more than 20 people had received the offer by the said company.
“What would happen if these 20-plus people retract their complaints? The case will be classified as ‘Discharge Not Amounting to Acquittal’ (DNAA).
“This has become a trend not just in Sarawak, but also in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Should this happen, this would be a grave injustice for the victims of the scam,” he told reporters at a press conference here yesterday.
As such, Hishamuddin said he had brought the complaints on the case involving 80 individuals to the Attorney General (AG)’s Chambers Sarawak branch at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar here for review and perusal.
According to him, although the AG has the right to proceed or drop the case as provided under Section 145(3) of the Penal Code, which grants the discretionary power to do so, such power should be used to initiate criminal prosecution against the suspects so that the victims would get justice.
“This matter needs to be brought to their attention, because we would not want to see the perpetrators run free, which is why we brought the complaint letters from the 80 complainants so that they become credible witnesses and the case itself is not dismissed.
“We want the scammers to be charged and punished under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years, fines and caning, if convicted.”
Hishamuddin was accompanied by several individuals representing victims from their respective districts in Sarawak to offer themselves as credible witnesses to testify in the case including a victim himself, ‘Raiz’, who represented those in Kuching.
“All of the victims here (in Kuching) have spent our pension monies to build our houses – only to be cheated by the scammers, and the suspects still run free!
“Today, we want to fight back. Getting our monies is secondary; the most important thing is for us to get the justice we deserve.”
Another victim, ‘Olee’, who represented the victims in Miri, said a police report was lodged following failed attempts to contact the implicated company.
He wanted to build a house on his own land, he added.
“At first, the documentation by the said company went smoothly, and the construction began with piling works.
“During the works, the company, which became the main contractor, disappeared, and the sub-contractor (subcon) did not make any progress because they were not paid by the main contractor.
“We tried reaching the main contractor but to no avail; even the sub-con said we might probably have been scammed,” he added.