FORMER Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim today hit out at the management of the fund for not giving him a chance to explain before going to the police to report alleged misuse of RM22 million of the fund’s money.
He said they had also failed to observe the standard operating procedure of conducting an internal probe before calling the cops.
“We could have had an internal investigation into the money, where it came from and how it was distributed.
“But instead, suddenly on Saturday morning, there were newspapers reports that a police report had been lodged against me for misusing RM22 million for political activities,” he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
Tabung Haji filed two police reports last Friday alleging RM22 million had been misappropriated and that 95% of shares in a subsidiary had been sold for RM3.8 billion.
Azeez, along with former chief executive officers Ismee Ismail and Johan Abdullah were named in the reports.
Four senior management executives – CEO Adi Azuan, chief financial officer Rozaida Omar, legal adviser Hazlina Mohd Khalid and senior general manager for corporate services and real estate Rifina Md Ariff – also featured in the reports.
In the first report, Tabung Haji alleged that more than RM22 million of the foundation’s funds were used for political activities in 2017.
In the second report, it named Ismee, Hazlinda and Rifina as the parties involved in the sale of PT TH Indo Plantations, which was owned by Tabung Haji subsidiaries TH Indopalms Sdn Bhd and TH Indo Industries Sdn Bhd, to PT Borneo Pacific for RM3.8 billion in 2012.
Azeez today said the RM22 million allegedly misappropriated was spent on welfare programmes “Ziarah Kasih”, “Jom Bantu Rakyat” and “Ziarah Kasih Ramadan” to help single mothers regardless of their political affiliations in more than 60 parliamentary constituencies during the fasting month last year.
He said the money was not funds from Tabung Haji depositors but investment profits, which amounted to RM7 million, and contributions from Umno, the federal government and companies that did not have business dealings with Tabung Haji.
On the sale of the subsidiary, he said he only became Tabung Haji chairman in July 2013, a year after the event.
During the time he was chairman, he said, there were no allegations of abuse.THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Umno MP: Tabung Haji police report aimed at embarrassing me
Umno’s Baling MP Abdul Azeez Rahim has cried foul over Lembaga Tabung Haji’s police report against him, claiming that it was mala fide and an attempt to embarrass him.
The former Tabung Haji chairperson said the new leadership should have approached him for clarification.
“This is mala fide and an attempt to embarrass me and Tabung Haji.
“Tabung Haji never called me to allow me to defend myself. All funds were channelled into Yayasan Tabung Haji (YTH)
“Umno, the federal government and contributors put their faith in YTH,” Abdul Azeez told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
Last Friday, the pilgrimage fund lodged a report against Abdul Azeez.
Reports were also lodged against former CEOs Ismee Ismail and Johan Abdullah, chief operating officer Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani, chief financial officer Rozaida Omar, legal adviser Hazlina Mohd Khalid and senior general manager for corporate services and real estate Rifina Md Ariff.
The Tabung Haji board said one police report relates to the misuse of RM22 million for political activities. The fund was meant for Yayasan Tabung Haji.
A second police report was aimed squarely at Ismee, Hazlina and Rifina over the disposal of a 95 percent stake in PT TH Indo Plantations.
Abdul Azeez said he would cooperate with the investigation. – MKINI
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MKINI
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