KUALA LUMPUR – Tun Daim Zainuddin has confirmed that he will be charged on Monday.
In a brief statement, the former finance minister said he will be charged under Section 36(2) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 pertaining to the disclosure of assets.
“Yesterday, MACC officers recorded a statement from me. My lawyers have since been informed that I’ll be charged on Monday, January 29.
“So be it. I look forward to my day in court.”
Daim, whose statement was issued to the press by his lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, has been under investigation by MACC since a year ago, when the agency opened a case against him in February 2023 based on his name appearing in the 2021 Pandora Papers.
The Pandora Papers have linked him and his proxies to offshore businesses worth at least US$31 million (RM146.7 million).
He was served with a notice to disclose his assets on June 7, last year, but despite five extensions, he failed to declare his assets to MACC within the 30-day deadline.
Consequently, his commercial building, Ilham Tower in Kuala Lumpur, was seized by MACC on December 18.
The MACC is investigating Daim under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Daim’s wife, Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, was charged similarly last week for allegedly failing to comply with a notice by not declaring 12 properties, including companies Ilham Tower Sdn Bhd and Ilham Baru Sdn Bhd, one Mercedes-Benz EQC400, one Mercedes-Benz SL 500, and properties including the Ilham Tower, a house in Persiaran Bukit Tunku, four lots of land in Bukit Tunku and one lot each in Penang and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
She pleaded not guilty and has called the charge politically motivated.
Daim was to have been charged earlier, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said two days ago, but he had been hospitalised.
Daim, a close associate of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is also challenging the MACC’s investigation through a judicial review. The court will decide whether to allow this bid on March 4. – January 27, 2024