KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has served businessman Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir a notice order to declare his assets.
An MACC source told Scoop that the notice under Section 36(1)(b) of the MACC Act 2009 was given after Mokhzani was called in to assist in investigations at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at about 11am this morning.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, when contacted by Scoop, confirmed that the commission had summoned the individual and that the investigation was being conducted under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLATFPUAA) Act 2001.
However, he did not elaborate on other details of the interrogation.
The source added that the MACC’s investigation into the businessman is believed to be related to his shareholding in a government-linked company (GLC) involved in government projects.
He said, the GLC company is said to have won a license to fabricate structures for use in the exploration of oil and gas for a national petroleum giant, while Mokhzani’s father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was serving as prime minister.
Earlier this morning, Azam confirmed that another family member of a former prime minister will be called up to the MACC today.
This comes after the individual’s brother gave a statement to MACC on January 17.
On January 18, MACC issued a statement confirming that Mirzan Mahathir was summoned as part of investigations arising from leaked information in the Panama Papers.
The eldest son of Dr Mahathir was present at the MACC headquarters around 9.30pm the day before and was given the notice to declare all his movable and immovable assets here and abroad within 30 days.
The agency is also investigating his business activities that involve the sale and acquisition of government-linked companies.
The MACC said that since August 2022, it has been investigating all entities named in both the Pandora and Panama papers – which are leaked databases on the wealth of global elites, including politicians and their relatives, published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
The Pandora Papers were published in 2021, while the Panama Papers were released in 2016.
Separately, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin is expected to face two graft charges next week for alleged failure to declare assets. – January 26, 2024