KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s younger brother Hamid has been remanded for five days over the alleged skimming of RM1.5bil from rural development projects – and the former Rural and Regional Development minister could well be next on the list.
Shafie seems likely to be pulled in by graft investigators in their probe and although the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has not given any indication, sources say the Parti Warisan Sabah president has many questions to answer over the deals.
Even party members are anticipating his arrest anytime soon.
Warisan vice-president Junz Wong said they were prepared for the possibility of Shafie being hauled in and it might be just a matter of time.
Shafie, who has said he is ready to give his side of the story to MACC, is scheduled to return to Sabah this weekend. He is expected to attend a Warisan gathering in Keningau on Sunday.
Seven people, including two senior Warisan members, remain in custody and graft investigators are identifying at least two or three more state assemblymen for questioning. Most of them have family ties with Shafie.
There is also a WhatsApp message going around in Sabah urging Warisan members to “continue fighting to the end” even if the leaders are arrested.
“We are the people and we are the leaders,” the message says.
It also claims that Shafie has admitted he is likely to be hauled up by the MACC anytime and urges members to stay calm and not cause any problems.
Sources say that at least 32 individuals, many of whom are from Sabah’s east coast Semporna area, are being sought for their statements to be recorded in connection with the probe.
Some have given their statements.
Investigators are sifting through some 350 rural water, electricity and road projects worth RM7.5bil that were given out between 2009 and 2015, during the time Shafie was the minister.
Some of the projects have not been completed while others did not meet specifications, including a water treatment plant in Semporna.
Earlier Wednesday, Hamid, 52, was ordered by the magistrate’s court to be remanded for five days after he was arrested on Tuesday when he turned up at the Sabah MACC office here to give his statement.
The others still under remand are Warisan vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony, 46, Warisan youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman (a nephew of Shafie), 43, businessman Yu Sin Kong, 52, a civil servant with the ministry and two Sabah Umno youth leaders, Jamawi Jaafar (Tenom Umno chief), 42, and Ariffin Kassim (Tawau Umno chief), 43.
ANN
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