MACC to visit PKNS soon over Mohd Arif graft probe

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will visit PKNS “very soon” in relation to an on-going probe against the secretary-general of a federal ministry.

It is learnt that official documents from the PKNS or Selangor State Development Corporation records are pertinent to determine the dealings involving some 10 plots of land acquired by Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman when he was serving with the Selangor government.

Another arduous task is awaiting the graft-busters as they get down to the business of tracing hundreds of documents kept in the confidential records there.

Mohd Arif, who is the secretary-general of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry since his appointment on Oct 16, 2015, is under investigation for alleged corruption, abuse of power and money laundering.

Prior to this, he was the Agriculture and Agro-based Indus­tries Ministry secretary-general.

It is learnt that the MACC wanted to make sure all the plots of land in Selangor were bought in accordance with the “right procedures”.

“Some of the land are registered under the suspect’s wife and children, so we need to verify all purchases were clean,” said a source.

Mohd Arif was Subang Jaya Municipal Council president in 2005 and Selangor financial officer in 2007.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said his officers were gathering evidence and would seize more documents as the probe progresses.

It is learnt that contractors and vendors awarded contracts when Mohd Arif was serving under the previous and present ministries would be called up soon.

Last week, Mohd Arif, 59, and two of his sons, aged 29 and 34, were detained in connection with the probe.

So far, cash and gold bars worth more than RM6mil have been seized, in addition to 150 luxury handbags and watches.

Yesterday, The Star wrongly referred to Mohd Arif as secretary-general of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry in a story when it was actually his former position.

On Friday, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob urged the public not to speculate on the arrest of Mohd Arif.

Ismail Sabri said MACC should be allowed to do its job without interference.

Recently, in the country’s biggest corruption case dubbed Sabah Watergate, the MACC took almost three months to pore over tens of thousands of documents and over 8,000 payment vouchers from between 2008 and 2016.