Police asked to expedite probe into RM155 mln oil palm plantation purchase
KOTA KINABALU: Gerakan Akar Umbi Umno (GAUM) wants the police to speed up their investigation into the purchase of an oil palm plantation worth about RM155 million in the Tongod district involving Risda.
Its president, Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar, also hoped the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would cooperate with the police because as of today, there was still no new development from MACC pertaining to the case.
“According to information from lawyer Datuk Ainal Fattah, the sale of the Tongod land worth RM155 million cannot be made as it is a native land.
“Unfortunately Risda paid a deposit of RM15 million, which was managed by lawyer Michael Persius Ubu, whose whereabouts is still unknown until today.
“Information that we received also claimed that the RM15 million deposit has not been returned to Risda despite the failure of the land purchase,” he said when met outside the city police headquarters in Karamunsing yesterday.
Zulkarnain, who is also Pakatan Pro-BN (Sabah) president, also questioned the involvement of Parti Warisan Sabah vice president Datuk Peter Anthony in the purchase of the Tongod land.
He said the land purchase could not have been approved without the influence from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
Anthony, who is a key ally of Warisan president Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal, was detained by MACC on Jan 6 in connection with investigations into alleged siphoning of funds for Sabah rural projects that were channelled through the Rural and Regional Development Ministry when it was headed by Shafie as minister between 2010 and 2016.
On Jan 3, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki had said that Anthony and Ubu, 61, were needed in its investigation into a land deal that was not related to previous cases being investigated.
Anthony was released on Jan 12, eight days after being held by MACC.
Ubu however has not presented himself to MACC as he is believed to be overseas.
It is believed that the aborted Tongod land deal was investigated by the police a few years ago and Anthony was cleared by the police then.
It is also learned that Risda, under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, had appointed a legal firm in the purchase of the land in Tongod but had to abandon it as it involved native customary land.
However, Risda is said to be unable to get back a 10 percent deposit or some RM15 million from the legal firm.