POLICE TO SUMMON EX-FELDA CHAIRMAN
Deputy IGP says Isa will have his statement recorded next week
POLICE will summon exFelda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad to assist its investigation into Felda’s Jalan Semarak land deal next week.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said Isa’s statement was important as he was Felda’s topranked person at the time.
“We will summon him next week to have his statement recorded. As the then Felda chairman and linked to the company’s investment decisions, this must be investigated,” he said after an event at Bukit Aman here yesterday.
Noor Rashid told the New Straits Times that the police were in the midst of collating information from the ground, as well as carrying out forensics analysis on documents that investigators had seized.
“We are looking at the data, minutes of meetings involved, information from the Federal Territory Land Office, company records from the Registrar of Companies, as well as the company’s activities. We will be assessing the relevant documents first and analysing them. Then, we will call Isa. We need to know everything first before recording his statement.”
Noor Rashid said police had recorded statements from five people, comprising Felda officers and Land Office employees, as well as Companies Commission of Malaysia personnel.
“Our investigation has started. We have recorded statements and taken documents from the Companies Commission of Malaysia. Police have visited the Land Office to investigate the (Felda) land transfer process.”
He said investigations were expected to pick up next week when police record statements from individuals linked to the case and obtain key documents.
He said the case was being investigated under Sections 420 and 471 of the Penal Code for fraud and falsification of documents.
Noor Rashid said investigators were in the process of getting a statement from the person who lodged the report.
It was reported that Felda general manager Datuk Ab Ghani Mohd Ali lodged the report on Dec 12.
Last week, a Berita Harian exposé reported that Felda stood to lose its hold on strategic land in Jalan Semarak here, estimated to be worth more than RM200 million, following dubious transactions since 2015.
The land transfer is said to have taken place when Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd appointed a local company as its main developer on June 3, 2014, and gave it full power of attorney to develop the land.
Following the exposé, police formed a special team to investigate the land ownership transfer.