KUALA LUMPUR – Another family member of a former prime minister will be called up to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today.
MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki told Scoop that this is related to an investigation carried out under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
“We will also serve a notice compelling the individual to declare assets under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009.”
This comes after the individual’s brother gave a statement to MACC on January 17.
On January 18, MACC issued a statement confirming that Mirzan Mahathir was summoned as part of investigations arising from leaked information in the Panama Papers.
The eldest son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was present at the MACC headquarters at 9.30pm the day before and was given a notice to declare all his movable and immovable assets here and abroad within 30 days.
The agency is also investigating his business activities that involve the sale and acquisition of government-linked companies.
The MACC said that since August 2022, it has been investigating all entities named in both the Pandora and Panama papers, which are leaked databases on the wealth of global elites, including politicians and their relatives, published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
“To date, 10 witnesses have been called in for their statements to be recorded, while the MACC is in the process of studying financial documents as well as the ownership of assets by the entities named in the documents,” the MACC had said.
The Pandora Papers were published in 2021, while the Panama Papers were released in 2016.
Separately, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin is expected to face two graft charges next week for alleged failure to declare assets.
The MACC’s investigation into allegations of corruption and money laundering against Daim, based on information from the Pandora Papers since last February, led to a notice served under Section 36(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 on June 7.
Despite five extensions granted, Daim’s assets were not declared within the stipulated 30-day period.
As part of the MACC investigation process, the public prosecutor issued a seizure notice for Ilham Tower on December 18.
Azam had said Daim should have been brought before the court earlier, as the commission had already received approval from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
However, due to health reasons during his hospitalisation, charges could not be filed immediately. He was discharged from the hospital yesterday.
On January 17, Daim’s legal team, led by former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, went to the high court here to challenge the MACC’s probe.
Daim’s wife, Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, faced a similar charge in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on Wednesday for alleged failure to comply with a notice by not declaring 12 properties, including companies Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd and Ilham Baru Sdn Bhd, one Mercedes-Benz EQC400, one Mercedes-Benz SL 500, and properties including the Ilham Tower, a house in Persiaran Bukit Tunku, four lots of land in Bukit Tunku and one lot each in Penang and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
Na’imah, who recorded a not guilty plea, had insisted that the charge was politically motivated and had vowed to fight it. – January 26, 2024