MACC reopens probe

(NST) - THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has reopened its investigation into allegations of illegal sand mining in Selangor involving two Parti Keadilan Rakyat

The commission’s Operations Evaluation Panel yesterday directed the Legal and Prosecution Division to “revisit” the case as there were still a lot of unanswered questions.

Panel chairman Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil said they believed investigators needed to gather more evidence against PKR assemblymen Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei (Sri Muda) and Amirudin Shari (Batu Caves) who were implicated. Hadenan stressed that earlier reports stating that the case was stamped “No Further Action” by the Attorney-General’s Chambers were not true.

The panel ordered that the case be “revisited” after they were briefed by MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull and investigations director Datuk Mustafar Ali at a meeting yesterday.

The alleged illegal sand mining were recently brought to light by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who claimed that it was no coincidence that the two assemblymen were registered as directors of Double Dignity (M) Sdn Bhd, the company implicated in the sand-mining operations in Dengkil, Sepang.

Raja Petra had alleged that Mat Shuhaimi told a contractor to set up Double Dignity and include both assemblymen as directors. The contractor then submitted an application to Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd to mine sand in Dengkil. Kumpulan Semesta is a Selangor state-owned company involved in mining and selling sand in Selangor.

A copy of the application was allegedly sent to Mat Suhaimi and Amirudin who supported the application. It was learnt that the MACC probe against Mat Shuhaimi and Amirudin began in July 2010.

Also discussed at the MACC meeting at its academy in Persiaran Duta, yesterday, were the investigations into the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp)  scandal and the Kelantan menteri besar's son-in-law Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman.

Hadenan said the probe into NFCorp, which focused on allegations that Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was involved in obtaining approval for the RM250 million government soft loan, was also still ongoing.

"The investigation papers were submitted to the A-G but he gave the investigators further instructions."

It was alleged that Shahrizat, who is the women, family and community development minister and also the wife of NFCorp chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Salleh Ismail, was involved in getting the loan approved.

"We feel that this case should be concluded quickly to be fair to the persons involved."

On Ariffahmi's case, the panel also announced that they agreed with the A-G's recommendation that the case be closed due to lack of evidence.

"The accusations against him were that he misused Kelantan Menteri Besar Incorporated (KMBI) funds to purchase flight tickets for his wife to Kuala Lumpur and Dubai, purchase a cake and contributed to a Pas assemblyman."

Hadenan said all the allegations surfaced because there was no proper financial system and procedure in place.