KUALA LUMPUR – Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, 85, will be charged in the sessions court here tomorrow for not declaring 71 assets involving accounts, vehicles, companies, land, houses, and buildings.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said he will be charged under Section 36 (2) of the MACC Act 2009.
“Tomorrow, Tun Daim’s charges will be in Criminal Section Court 9, Jalan Duta, at 9.00 am,” he told Scoop when contacted today.
He also informed that Daim was arrested on Friday and released on MACC bail to appear in court tomorrow.
Daim had previously received treatment in the hospital for more than two weeks.
On December 29, the MACC confirmed that the investigation into allegations of corruption and money laundering against Daim was based on information from the Pandora Papers that began last February.
The MACC said that a notice in accordance with Section 36(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 (Act 694) was handed over to him to declare all assets, whether domestic or foreign, in writing and affidavit within 30 days from the date of the notice on June 7.
“Daim applied for an extension five times and was granted an extension on July 6, August 10, September 11, October 11, and lastly on November 14 to declare all his assets.
“As part of the MACC investigation process, the Public Prosecutor issued a Seizure Notice for Menara Ilham in accordance with Section 38(1) of Act 694 (Seizure of Immovable Property) on December 18.
“Daim is being investigated in accordance with Section 23 of the same act and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Illegal Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA),” MACC said.
On January 23, Daim’s wife, Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court for failing to comply with a notice by not declaring 12 properties, including the Ilham Tower and several properties in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Na’imah, 67, pleaded not guilty and requested to be tried as soon as the interpreter read the charges before judge Azura Alwi.
She was also charged with deliberately giving a written statement under oath that did not comply with the terms of the notice dated November 8, 2023, sent to her by an MACC officer with the rank of commissioner on November 14, 2023, namely by not declaring property.
The properties include the Ilham Tower, two companies namely Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd and Ilham Baru Sdn Bhd, two luxury Mercedes Benz vehicles; two houses in Persiaran Bukit Tunku and Jalan Athinahapan, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), four lots of freehold land in Bukit Tunku and one lot of land each in Penang and TTDI. – January 28, 2024