Anthony freed but more arrests expected to be made
KOTA KINABALU: More arrests are expected in the ongoing graft probe into the alleged siphoning of money from rural development projects as Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony was released after being remanded for eight days.
Graft investigators were still going through various details of the questionable projects as they expect to call in more people, including politicians, in the probe that now narrowed down to 70 projects in Sabah between 2009 and 2015.
Anthony, a close ally of Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, was among seven people, including Warisan Youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman and (Shafie’s brother) Datuk Hamid Apdal, detained since the swoop began on Oct 5.
Anthony, who spent three days of his eight-day remand at the Damai Specialist Centre here, was released on a RM50,000 Mala in two sureties.
The release order was given by magistrate Cindy McJuce Balitus, who arrived at the hospital room where he was warded since Tuesday.
Following his release at 10am yesterday, Anthony was discharged from the hospital at 1.15pm.
Anthony, a businessman turned politician, was among the first three (with a local businessman and a civil servant in Putrajaya) remanded in connection with the probe.
The other three remanded were Tenom Umno Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar and Tawau Umno Youth chief Ariffin Kassim and Azis, who is a nephew of Shafie.
Businessman Yu Sin Kong’s nine-day remand is expected to end today, while investigators are expected to seek extension for the five-day remand of Azis, Ariffin and Jamawi.
Their remand also ends today.
The probe focuses on federal-funded rural water, electricity and road projects that were carried out by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry during Shafie’s tenure as minister.
Shafie, who was expected to be back in Sabah this weekend to attend a party gathering in interior Keningau, has cancelled his trip because the function organised by Anthony has been postponed.