The Star Malaysia

Trio freed and held again

JJPTR boss and aides freed and rearrested to be handed to Penang cops

- By FARIK ZOLKEPLI, NURBAITI HAMDAN and ADRIAN CHAN newsdesk@thestar.com.my

JJPTR boss and two aides were released only to be rearrested and handed over to Penang police for further probe.

PETALING JAYA: JJ Poor To Rich (JJPTR) founder Johnson Lee and two of his aides were released on police bail but rearrested shortly afterwards.

North Klang OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Yusoff Mamat said they would be handed over to Penang police for “their side of the investigat­ion into the money scheme”.

The three men left the Kapar Indah police station in Klang at about 4.40pm yesterday.

Lawyer Mohd Shukri Ahmad Mansor said he was told that his clients would be taken to Penang.

They are expected to arrive there today for further investigat­ion.

The press waited for hours since morning to catch sight of Lee, who was held at the Bandar Baru Klang police station.

In the afternoon, Lee and his two aides finally emerged from the station in handcuffs and got into a police car.

They were taken to the Kapar Indah police station to have their statements recorded.

About two hours later, the three were brought back to the Bandar Baru Klang station.

Lee, in a grey shirt and shorts with his hair trimmed, kept his head down as he was led past the media and into the station.

The three had been detained on Tuesday morning and initially remanded until Thursday.

Police were granted a one-day extension, which expired yesterday.

Another lawyer representi­ng the three, G. Jaya Prem, said his clients had cooperated fully with police.

Earlier, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigat­ion Department director Comm Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said JJPTR had collected investment­s of up to RM1.7bil.

He said in a statement last week that a multi-agency team had raided eight JJPTR locations in Penang.

Fifteen workers and four investors were held for questionin­g.

Meanwhile, a check by The Star revealed that there were numerous uncertaint­ies over JJPTR, including its “thousand-people banquet” scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

A hotel where the function is scheduled to be held has been inundated with calls enquiring if the event will proceed after Lee’s arrest.

Lee had earlier said that the dinner would continue and that he would be there to celebrate with his members.

When contacted, the Berjaya Times Square Hotel Events Department confirmed that the dinner is scheduled to be held in its Manhattan Hall at 7pm.

The guests will be served vegetarian food.

According to a report by Sin Chew Daily, 100 tables had been booked and paid for.

The reservatio­n was not made under Lee’s name.

 ??  ?? On the move: Lee (second from right) and his aides being escorted from the Commercial Crimes Investigat­ion Department at Bandar Baru Klang police headquarte­rs.
On the move: Lee (second from right) and his aides being escorted from the Commercial Crimes Investigat­ion Department at Bandar Baru Klang police headquarte­rs.

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