Yapeim man’s mother nabbed

‘Both mum and son conspired to embezzle RM223,000’

PUTRAJAYA: A second person has been arrested in connection with the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim) embezzlement case – and she is the mother of the first suspect.

The 69-year-old former deputy president of the government-linked foundation was arrested after she came to the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here for questioning yesterday afternoon.

On Wednesday, a 47-year-old senior director of Yapeim, was remanded over the same case.

His mother was released after her statement was recorded.

MACC director of investigations Datuk Simi Abdul Ghani said the woman was being investigated under Section 409 of the Penal Code for criminal breach of trust.

According to an MACC source, both mother and son allegedly conspired to embezzle funds from Yapeim amounting to RM223,000.

The money was approved by the Yapeim board, supposedly as aid for the poor and needy during the Rompin by-election in 2015.

Investigations revealed that no one received the aid.

The suspects were believed to have made up names of aid “recipients” by using non-existent identity card information as well as the names of those who were deceased.

Meanwhile, Yapeim said it would offer its full cooperation in the investigation.

“Yapeim will leave this to the wisdom of MACC to make a thorough investigation.

“We understand these arrests are an extension of the investigation that MACC initiated in 2015,” its director-general Datuk Abibullah Samsudin said in a press statement.

Abibullah added that Yapeim amended the foundation’s trust deed last May 16 in efforts to ensure good governance.