MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman says the charges involve the alleged abuse of power and misappropriation linked to TH’s investments.
MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman at a press conference at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA:
Several individuals detained in connection with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation into the royal commission of inquiry report on Tabung Haji will be charged in court over the next two days.
MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said the charges involved the alleged abuse of power and misappropriation linked to TH’s investments in TH Marine, TH Alam and TH Alam Management, involving a total of RM334.2 million, Astro Awani reported.
“Another charge involves alleged corruption related to TH’s 30% stake in construction company Putrajaya Perdana Bhd.
“Once the cases are registered, we will know the details. At this point, I cannot say more,” he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters here.
The individuals are expected to be charged at the Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam sessions courts.
In a related development, Halim said another investigation involving TH’s investment in Al-Rawda Real Estate Development and Project Management Company Ltd, including hotel leases in Makkah and Madinah worth about RM2.68 billion, was expected to result in charges next week.
“Yes, the charges involve a VIP,” he said.
Finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan previously said the RCI into TH’s financial management from 2014 to 2020 found that seven of the fund’s 14 investments during the period had resulted in losses.
Amir said the biggest loss stemmed from TH’s investment in Al-Rawda, a Saudi Arabian property development and project management company.
Speaking during a special sitting on the RCI report in the Dewan Rakyat on Aug 11, Amir said the investment involved lease agreements signed between 2015 and 2017, under which TH paid 1.4 billion Saudi riyals, or about RM1.5 billion, to an intermediary to lease four hotels in Makkah and Madinah for Malaysian pilgrims.
He said Al-Rawda was supposed to operate the hotels and pay TH 2.49 billion Saudi riyals in rental, but failed to make the payments. The investment was also secured only through personal promissory notes.
Al-Rawda defaulted on its rental payments from the first quarter of 2019, eventually forcing TH to recognise a full impairment loss of RM1 billion in 2024.
Earlier today, a former minister was remanded for five days to assist in MACC’s investigation into the leasing of a TH-linked hotel in Saudi Arabia.
Halim said 11 people had also been arrested in connection with the probe.
They include a former TH chairman, 60; former TH managing director, 61; former senior general manager of TH’s haj division, 65; former senior general manager of TH’s finance and services corporate division, 58; another former senior general manager of the same division, 59; and a former TH legal adviser, 60.
Also arrested were a former minister, 65; a director of Putrajaya Perdana Bhd, 59; a former director of Putrajaya Perdana Bhd, 69; a former director of Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd, 61; and a chief operating officer of Alam Maritim Sdn Bhd, 67.
SOURCE: freemalaysiatoday
