SEPANG – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is still investigating the veracity of embattled non-governmental organisation (NGO) Aman Palestin Bhd’s previous transactions and claims, said chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Speaking to reporters here today, Azam said that the anti-graft agency is still looking into whether Aman Palestin had actually channelled money to war-torn Palestinians, as it claimed to have done, and how such supposed transactions were carried out.
“MACC officers are also looking into the purchase of gold bars as a supposed form of investment.
“If we find that there are any issues (with Aman Palestin), we’ll recommend that the AGC (Attorney-General’s Chambers) press charges,” Azam said after attending the National Good Governance Symposium 2024.
He also noted that there are slight difficulties with the investigation as investigators have to trace the recipients of Aman Palestin’s donations.
“They (Aman Palestin) claimed that they made donations, but the issue is, who were the recipients? This is something investigators have to verify,” he said.
“Yes, they have given us the names of some (donation) recipients, but we have to investigate who these people are.”
Seeing as how the investigation processes will take some time, Azam said that there is a necessity to continue its freeze on Aman Palestin’s bank accounts.
In November last year, it was reported that MACC had frozen 41 Aman Palestin-linked bank accounts amounting to RM15.86 million as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in the NGO’s fundraising activities.
The freezing order ruffled the feathers of Aman Palestin leaders, who threatened to take the anti-graft agency to court for its “malicious” attempts to tarnish the NGO’s reputation.
The graft busters also conducted a search at the organisation’s premises, obtaining financial and operational management documents spanning the past five years.
Initial investigations have identified issues involving the misappropriation of funds estimated at RM70 million, with the funds having supposedly been diverted for purposes other than the objectives of the establishment of the company. – January 8, 2024