MACC to release Muhyiddin later today, says Saifuddin

PUTRAJAYA: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to be released by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Thursday (March 9), says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (pic).

“The latest update is that he will be released later and then he will join us for solat hajat.

“I am not sure what time but it would be later,” the Pahang Bersatu chief and Indera Mahkota MP said outside the MACC headquarters.

The graft busters are currently investigating allegations that contractors had allegedly deposited RM300mil into the Bersatu party account in return for projects.

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Muhyiddin has denied this, calling it political slander intended to smear his reputation as the eighth prime minister.

On Feb 18, Muhyiddin said the MACC had confirmed that he was not a suspect in the ongoing investigations when he was called up to give his statement.

The MACC has already charged Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu division deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad with corruption charges linked to the Jana Wibawa programme.

The Jana Wibawa programme was set up in November 2020 under Muhyiddin’s administration to empower bumiputra contractors struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the scheme, bumiputra contractors rated three to five stars were given contracts through direct negotiation.

The contractors were to have been approved by the Finance Ministry.

Bersatu treasurer Datuk Mohd Salleh Bajuri was also arrested by graft busters to assist investigations into the expenditure of party funds.

Salleh was detained last week and remanded until March 3 after he was instructed to go to the MACC headquarters on March 1 to give a statement on payments by Bersatu to suppliers and vendors.

The MACC had earlier frozen several accounts belonging to Bersatu in January.