Isa and wife to give statements over corruption probe today

Cooperative couple: Sources within the MACC have confirmed that Isa and Bibi Sharliza are willing to cooperate with the commission

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be recording statements from the former chairman of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV), Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, and his wife Puan Sri Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid.

They have been asked to present themselves at the MACC headquarters at Parcel D here at 10am today to assist investigations on alleged improprieties in the company.

Sources close to the investigations confirmed that Isa and Bibi Sharliza have been contacted.

“Yes, we have asked that they come so that we can record their statements.

“Tan Sri (Isa) and his wife said they will cooperate,” a source said.

MACC is investigating FGV over claims of improprieties and abuse of power that were brought to its attention following a management crisis that led to the group president and CEO Datuk Zakaria Arshad and three key executives being asked to take a leave of absence.

The suspended Zakaria then urged MACC to investigate alleged improprieties in FGV, and asked the commission to probe the parties behind several transactions.

He had his statement recorded a day after the crisis, and this was followed by a “visit” by MACC offi­cers to the company headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where files and documents were taken away.

MACC had previously said its probe was focused on six issues involving FGV, including the alleged abuse of position by a “top official”.

On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the appointment of Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob as acting FGV chairman, tasked with ushering in a “quantum leap” in its corporate governance.

Isa, who relinquished his post on Monday, was appointed as acting chairman of the Land Public Transport Commission.