Deputy minister implicated in PPR flat scam

A deputy minister's name has been used in a housing scam and the affected buyers want their money back. The deputy minister says he is innocent and wants swift police action.

KUALA LUMPUR: A deputy minister has been accused of masterminding a scam which has allegedly cheated over 40 people of some RM350,000 by “selling” low-cost flats (People’s Housing Project/PPR) on behalf of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister M Saravanan was named as one of the people behind this “PPR scam syndicate” in a police report lodged against him on Thursday.

The complainant, insurance manager M Vagindraj @ Christopher Raj Mohan, had lodged the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here late Thursday night.

However Saravanan, when contacted, said that he had “nothing to do with this”, saying that when Christopher met him over the issue, he even advised him to lodge a report over the matter.

Saravanan, a MIC vice-president, said he had also lodged a report in September last year about someone who has been impersonating him on Facebook and trying to misuse his name to dupe unsuspecting people.

A similar complaint was sent to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), seeking the authorities to take action.

He said the police and the MCMC should investigate the matter urgently to catch the culprits.

Being an agent

In his report, Christopher alleged that he had corresponded via the social networking site Facebook with someone named “M Saravanan”, allegedly a deputy minister, about being an “agent” to help sell City Hall’s PPR flats.

“On Sept 13, 2010, ‘YB Saravanan’ sent me a message via his Facebook, telling me that the PPR houses in Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territories, are open for sale at RM35,000 (per unit),” Christopher claimed in his report.

Each of those houses, Christopher said he was told, came with three bedrooms and two toilets. “He asked me to assist him in selling those housing units by finding buyers who are interested and (even those) ineligible for those houses.”

Christopher said “Saravanan” told him this was the “last chance” for someone without a home to own one.

“He told me all information contained in his Facebook messages to me must be private and confidential,” said Christopher

He added that “Saravanan” told him all communication and payment transactions should be made through a “City Hall officer” and “trusted man” by the name of Aru (Arumugham Munusamy).

Christopher said he was told to get a downpayment of RM3,500 (which later was increased to RM4,500) from each buyer as a “legal, processing and service fee”.

“Saravanan”, through Facebook message, had allegedly explained after the fee was paid, that an offer letter would be sent to the interested buyer in three or four week’s time.

Christopher also said that he was asked to collect his own commission from that advance payment before banking the amount into the account of Saravanan’s “proxy” officer “Aru”.

Buyers paying in cash should settle the full RM35,000 amount while those taking loans were supposed to submit certain documents for “Aru” to obtain a loan from City Hall’s panel bank or Bank Islam, Christopher was informed

“As of July 21, 2011, I have banked in money from 41 buyers into Aru’s account, totalling RM357,000 (39 loans and two cash buyers),” said Christopher.

However, Christopher realised that he was swindled when “Saravanan” and Aru cut off all communications with him.

“The documents for loan approvals were never sent to the banks, it was all lies,” he said.

Meeting Deputy Minister Saravanan

On May 18 this year, Christopher said he had arranged to meet with Saravanan to confront him, with the help of MIC Cheras division chairman Peru Karuppan.

“On that same day we saw him, Saravanan’s Facebook page was suddenly deleted, and this was confirmed to be true by Saravanan’s secretary Nirmalan,” said Christopher,.

Christoper claimed that Saravanan, when told of the deals, blamed someone named Mahendran for the fraud.

“Saravanan kept asking Peru why Mahendran would do such improper work, but Peru kept his head down without answering Saravanan,”

Christopher said during the meeting, Saravanan also denied possessing a Facebook account but was taken aback when it was pointed out that his own secretary had confirmed it.

“Saravanan looked angrily and severely at Nirmalan and looked at Peru with a regretful face,” said

Christopher, alleging that Saravanan had lied about his Facebook.

In the police report, Christopher said his question was if Saravanan knew it was “all Mahendran’s doing”, then “why did he keep quiet and did nothing?”

Christopher said it was later in July 2011, when he visited DBKL that he discovered that the offer letters for the houses were forged.

He said following the incident, the buyers have been pressuring him to deliver the houses but all attempts to seek out Saravanan, DBKL, or other MIC leaders were in vain.

Christopher told FMT that he was lodging the report now as he believes that Saravanan has cheated him and the buyers.

Saravan denies wrongdoing

When contacted, Saravanan, the Tapah MP, admitted that an individual did approach him to complain about the matter.

“In fact, somebody came and asked me about this. An unknown character came to my office and claimed he was cheated,” said Saravanan, who confirmed that the individual’s name was Christopher.

“Christopher said he paid money to someone to get him the houses… so I advised him to lodge a police report.”

“First of all, he should not have paid such a huge amount to someone, listening to unknown people. I believe the police can trace who is the person whom the amount was given,” he said.

Asked if he possessed a Facebook account, Saravanan said he does not.

“I don’t have a Facebook. I have lodged a police report one year ago to Bukit Aman and the MCMC, saying that somebody had used my name in Facebook,” he said.

Saravanan’s reports, made available to FMT, had claimed that someone had misused his name to cheat people into a similar PPR scam.

“Best thing is to let the police investigate this. How can you pay as much as RM130,000 through such people. A cheater is a cheater.”

Saravanan also said that the buyers of the homes are also considered “party to the crime”. “The police also have to charge whoever collected and whoever paid the money.

“How can you pay money to buy PPR flats in DBKL? It’s supposed to be for the poor people in Kuala Lumpur. We don’t allow third parties to ‘sell’ these homes. Both… are criminals,” he said.

He also said that he doesn’t know anyone called “Mahendran”, the person mentioned by Christopher.