Minister denies abusing funds given by Najib to his former party

KOTA KINABALU: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department VK Liew has denied a claim that he misappropriated funds for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the party he once led.

He said all transactions were recorded and accounted for, and were audited after approval by the party’s delegates from 2006 to 2012.

Liew said said he had no knowledge about the party’s funds from 2013 onwards as he was no longer the president then.

“There were still monies left in the party’s account when they suspended me as a member and removed me unconstitutionally as the party chief sometime in October 2013,” he said in London, where he is accompanying Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad

Liew said former state minister Teo Chee Kang and LDP acting president Chin Su Phin were accountable after his suspension.

“How can I have access to the office when they locked it?” he said, adding that he was removed as a signatory for the party’s bank accounts.

A blog has claimed that two cheques worth RM3.5 million were issued by former prime minister Najib Razak to LDP in 2013.

The blog writer alleged that Liew had pressured and forced the party’s treasurer to co-sign the cheques and cashed them out without the knowledge of other members.

A report on Sept 27 quoted Chin as saying that the statement was in fact made by LDP secretary-general to the police two weeks ago.

Liew said the secretary-general was not Teo as he had appointed someone else in 2013.

“Whoever was the secretary-general who gave statement to the police now has no personal knowledge of the matter.

“It’s based on hearsay and speculations,” he added.

Liew said the claim that he pressured and forced Ken Fong, who was the treasurer-general then, was unbelievable.

“It shows the extent of lies they are willing to go just to achieve their vicious agenda,” he said.

He said the party’s finances were audited and passed by delegates annually from 2013 to 2017.

“As for 2018, I am not sure if they have held their congress yet. It would be interesting to see what they would report on their election expenses for the just concluded general election where all their candidates lost.” - FMT