PUTRAJAYA: Graft investigators have embarked on another investigation involving high-profile personalities.
This time, it involves a businessman, whose business activities were said to have triggered questions.
The businessman is believed to be the son of a prominent politician.
Sources with knowledge of the investigation said the businessman was questioned for several hours by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers yesterday.
“Statements have been taken and I believe there will be other sessions with him,” a source told The Star.
However, not much information could be obtained on the probe as those involved are tight-lipped.
It is believed that the businessman’s name was listed in the Panama Papers, but it was not immediately known if the probe was related to claims made in those documents.
The Panama Papers refer to the leak of 11.5 million documents belonging to a law firm based in Panama, involving confidential offshore financial transactions linked to numerous high- powered individuals.
The documents, which were obtained by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung from unknown sources, were distributed to more than 100 media agencies via the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Last week, it was reported that a former senior minister and a businessman were being investigated in connection with alleged misappropriation of the country’s funds amounting to more than RM2.3bil.
Sources said the MACC had recorded statements from more than 14 witnesses over the past few weeks.
It is learnt that those who had been called were individuals, representatives from companies and broker firms, as well as lawyers.
Sources added that the probe is a continuation and extension of the disclosure of confidential documents by the ICIJ over transactions carried out at offshore financial centres.
