NGO files report over land swap and calls for probe

KUALA LUMPUR: An NGO has lodged a police report urging the authorities to investigate the alleged leakage of RM500mil in government funds in a land swap deal.

Pertubuhan Gerakan Martabat Pejuang Negara president Mejar (Rtd) Razali Zakaria said the authorities should investigate the individuals involved in the project as well as for abuse of power and political interference.

“Police should investigate the matter without prejudice and act quickly on the information provided in a media statement made by the Defence Ministry.

“From the statement, it is clear that there are elements of corruption which must be investigated by the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” Razali told reporters after lodging the report at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters yesterday.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said in a media statement that there were leakages of government funds estimated to be more than RM500mil in the land swap deal in the ministry.

The findings followed investigations conducted by the Special In­ves­tigation Committee on Procurement, Governance and Finance chaired by Tan Sri Ambrin Buang involving several of the ministry’s projects.

In the statement, Mohamad also said there was political interference in the choice of location for the projects to suit the political interests of certain parties.

When contacted, Dang Wangi district police chief Asst Comm Sha­haruddin Abdullah confirmed to Bernama that a report on the matter had been lodged.

Meanwhile, Mazwin Nik Anis reports that MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki said investigators would have to go through the report before an investigation could be carried out.

“Only after we have obtained a report and read it through can we decide if there is any justification for an investigation,” he said.

In April last year, former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz publicly alleged that land belonging to the armed forces had been swapped by a company supposedly under the control of three key individuals.

Former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein denied the allegation, saying it was an “outright lie”.