KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Robert Tan Hua Choon arrived at the Jalan Duta courthouse at 8.13am to face charges related to a government fleet project involving Spanco Sdn Bhd, totalling RM4.5 billion.
Dressed in an all-blue ensemble, the business magnate, dubbed the “Casio King”, made his entrance into the court complex, leaning on a walking stick.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it would be charging a “corporate figure” this morning.
Sources close to the matter have subsequently confirmed that the case is linked to Spanco.
The exact charges against Tan have yet to be determined. However, it is understood that he will be charged in a sessions court specialising in hearing corruption cases.
On January 19, Scoop reported that the MACC had mounted a raid on the residence of a businessman holding a “Tan Sri” title as part of its investigation into alleged graft related to the procurement and management of the government’s vehicle fleet.
Sources told Scoop that the operation was a continuation of the anti-graft agency’s ongoing investigation, which commenced in July last year.
On January 31, it was reported that several personal bank accounts holding tens of millions of ringgit belonging to the businessman were frozen by the MACC as a result of its investigations into the same matter.
Sources also said the businessman was a proxy for a separate businessman who was investigated by the MACC on allegations of corruption and money laundering based on information from the Pandora Papers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in February that the government’s agreement with Spanco was harming the nation, adding: “I don’t know what is wrong (about Spanco), but I know that it’s not right.”
Last month, Anwar, who is also finance minister, confirmed that the government remains in business with Spanco.
“The government always ensures that the procurement contract for Spanco to supply, maintain, and manage the government’s vehicle fleets is executed as needed as well as complies with procedures and due diligence,” the Finance Ministry said in a parliamentary written reply.
Previously, Berjaya Group founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan filed a suit against Spanco and the former Malaysian government-led then-prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The suit pertained to the termination of Berjaya’s letter of intent (LoI) for a vehicle fleet concession, which was subsequently awarded to Spanco.
The LoI, which was offered to Berjaya Group and Naza Group under the then-Pakatan Harapan federal government, was cancelled in 2020 after Perikatan Nasional (PN) took over the government under Muhyiddin’s leadership.
The PN government awarded the contract to Spanco, which has held the concession since 1994, and paid it RM700 million more than the Berjaya-Naza contract, according to claims made by Tan last year. – April 3, 2024