Peter Anthony arrested over RM155mil Risda land deal

Peter Anthony waving before entering the MACC office. - Bernama pic

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony has been arrested again, this time for another corruption case involving a RM155mil land deal.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed that Anthony was arrested after he turned up at the MACC office here at 10.25am Friday.

"Investigators have taken him to his house as part of the probe," he said, without elaborating.

It is learnt that Anthony is expected to be remanded on Saturday (Jan 6).

Azam said lawyer Michael Persius Ubu was also wanted by the MACC over the case and had yet to surrender himself.

Anthony, who arrived at the MACC office clad in a light blue and pink long-sleeved shirt, was being questioned over a Rubber Industry Smallholders Association (Risda) RM155mil land transaction in Sabah's Tongod district.

On Wednesday (Jan 3), MACC issued a notice asking Anthony and Ubu to present themselves within 48 hours to assist the probe into the case.

Anthony's lawyer Martin Tommy on Thursday (Jan 4) said that police had investigated the Tongod case a few years ago and his client had been cleared.

It is leant that Risda, under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, had appointed a legal firm to handle the purchase of land in Tongod.

The project had to be abandoned as it involved native customary land.

Risda was unable to get back the 10% deposit, totalling some RM15mil, from the legal firm.

Tommy had said that Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who was the minister that oversaw Risda at the time, had also given his statement over the issue.

He said they were unaware of Ubu's whereabouts as he was not a member of the party.

Meanwhile, Anthony's MACC bail over probe of the alleged skimming of RM1.5bil rural project funds for Sabah will only expire on Jan 26.

Anthony was among 13 people, including Shafie, who was arrested in October last year in connection with the case.

Apart from these two cases, Anthony is being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds regarding a university project.