Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) must clarify the claims in an Australian daily today that a former banker was threatened in relation to the agency's property deal in Melbourne, says PKR Youth.
Its chief, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said the report by The Sydney Morning Herald was disturbing, adding that Mara's answers about the entire Melbourne deal were unsatisfactory, especially over allegations that some A$4.5 million from the property deal was skimmed by Malaysian officials.
"The Malaysian people, especially the Bumiputera community, have a right to know what is going on in the agency, he said.
He added that this was the hottest issue throughout Australia in his recent visit to Melbourne with a representative from the National Oversight and Whistleblowers last month.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that Michael Knight, an ex banker of Wespac, was confronted by a man of Asian appearance outside his home who threatened his family before instructing the banker to transfer the A$50,000 the Malaysians had paid to secure the Westpac loan for the purchase of Dudley House into Knight's account, and to then withdraw the money and pay him.
This took place hours after Knight agreed to finance the Dudley House deal at a lending rate that protected Wespac's interests on March 5, 2013.
"If the allegations are true, such behaviour cannot be condoned and immediate action must be taken against the parties involved," Nik Nazmi said, adding that Malaysia could not afford to be dragged through the mud in yet another international scandal.
Mara's controversial property buy made headlines in Malaysia in June following a report in Australian newspaper The Age, which said that a “top” Mara officer, senior official and former politician had allegedly spent millions of government funds to buy an apartment block in Melbourne in a property scam.
The report alleged that “a group of super-rich Malaysian officials” overpaid A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million) for an apartment block in the city in 2013.
The trio had allegedly “overbid” for Dudley House, from A$17.8 million to A$22.5 million, with the difference pocketed as bribes back home.
Najib said the claims would be thoroughly investigated.
- TMI
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