PUTRAJAYA: Graft investigators have searched the house of FashionValet founders Datin Vivy Yusof and Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar and have frozen several accounts valued at RM1.1mil.
It is learnt that the couple was present at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office at 1pm yesterday where investigators continued to record their statements for the second day.
Sources said that Vivy and Fadzarudin were later taken to their residence in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, at 5.30pm for the search to be conducted.
“During the search, 12 MACC officers were present. The couple’s lawyer was also at the scene,” said a source.
The search ended at 8pm and among goods that were seized were 11 handbags and a luxury watch, all of which is estimated to be around RM200,000.
On the freezing of the accounts, the same source said it involved both personal accounts belonging to the couple as well as those belonging to FashionValet.
The MACC has thus far recorded statements from senior officials of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), FashionValet, accountants and company valuer, among others.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that FashionValet’s accounts as well that of the founders were frozen.
He also affirmed that his officers had gone to their house to conduct the search.
Azam said the couple would have to present themselves again at the agency’s headquarters at 10am today.
Last week, the MACC had said that it would initiate investigation into losses incurred by Khazanah and PNB from their investment in FashionValet as it involved public funds.
In a written parliamentary reply recently, the Finance Ministry said that Khazanah and PNB sold their shares in the e-commerce platform for RM3.1mil to NXBT Partners in 2023.
This contrasted with the RM47mil investment made by Khazanah and PNB in 2018, consisting of RM27mil and RM20mil respectively for minority stakes in FashionValet.
Vivy and Fadzarudin had apologised over the losses and said they would step down from their positions in FashionValet.
Vivy was its chief executive officer while Fadzaruddin acted as its executive director.
Khazanah explained that the sale of its stake in the company was to transfer ownership to new parties capable of steering the company towards growth.
On the same issue, PNB had said that its investment in the company was made using its proprietary fund and not the unit trust funds under the Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd subscribed by the public.
