MACC to start interviewing witnesses in Mara Corp case

PUTRAJAYA: Witnesses in the case of alleged mismanagement and power abuse at Mara Corporation Sdn Bhd will be called in to give their statements from Wednesday (Feb 9), says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said investigators would look into whether or not those accused of mismanagement had used their positions to benefit themselves.

“We will start calling the witnesses for their statements, the latest by tomorrow (Wednesday).

“Investigators will decide who they will call... the first are the company secretary as well as those in the administration and accounts departments,” he said in an interview on Tuesday (Feb 8).

Mara Corp, an investment holding company of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), came under the spotlight after internal administrative documents were leaked.

A letter was posted online, alleging wrongdoing involving five officers and also listing “backdated” payments they allegedly received.

It was reported that the letter was written supposedly at the request of Mara chairman Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun for an integrity enquiry into officers who had been “loaned” to Mara Corp.

On Monday (Feb 7), MACC officers raided three offices in the city, at Jalan Mara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Bukit Bintang.

Azam explained that MACC investigators wanted to interview the company secretary, as he is responsible for handling the minutes of meetings.

“If there are any decisions made to allow or not (for backdated payments to be made), the company secretary would have it on record.

“The administration and accounts officers would have handled payments and appointments so they too would know who issued such directives,” he said.

The officials filed police reports on Sunday (Feb 6) denying any wrongdoing and claimed the complaints against them were a distraction from a board member’s actions.