MACC to quizz Mohd Isa next week over FIC discrepancies

PUTRAJAYA: Former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad will be called up next week to help graft busters dig further into the property purchase activities of Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FIC), sources said.

He is among a long list of people who have or will be called by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) to have their statements recorded over the company’s purchase of hotels in London and Kuching.

MACC deputy chief commission er (operations) Datuk Azam Baki had said that investigators would record a statement from a key individual soon but refused to confirm if the person is Mohd Isa.

“Yes, we are going to call someone important over the purchase of the two hotels by FIC. But I can’t tell you who the person is. You just have to wait until next week,” he told The Star.

Investigations into the two cases were going smoothly, said Azam.

Nine people have been arrested and more than 30 witnesses have been called to date.

Among those remanded were former FIC chief executive officer Zaid Abdul Jalil and Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, who was an aide to Mohd Isa when the later was Felda chairman.

The MACC is investigating FIC’s purchase of a fourstar hotel in London’s upmarket Kensington area for RM330mil between 2013 and 2015.

The actual value of the property at the time of purchase was said to be RM110mil.

It is also investigating the company’s acquisition of a Kuching hotel bought for RM160mil in 2014.

It is believed that FIC – Felda’s investment arm focusing mainly on real estate, hospitality and the oil and gas sectors – had bought it at between RM40mil and RM50mil above the actual value.

In the ongoing investigation, three people had their statements recorded yesterday, including FIC board member Datuk Nur Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid who was called for the second time.

Nur Ehsanuddin, the MP for Kota Tinggi, arrived at 9.50am and left two hours later after being quizzed on FIC’s purchase of the London hotel.

Investigators also took statements from Felda’s legal department director Helwani Lukman and an unidentified female laywer.