FINANCE minister II Johari Abdul Ghani has denied the raid on firms owned by Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s sons by tax officers was politically motivated.

He said the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) is tasked with collecting taxes and to carry out investigations should there be any evidence of tax evasion.

“The IRB is an independent body free from any political hold. They can carry out investigation on anyone.

“As long as they (have) enough evidence, they can do so. No one can tell the IRB who it should investigate. I don’t think the motives are political,” he said after officiating at the Society Empowerment and Economic Development of Sabah (Seeds) in Kota Kinabalu today.

Tax officers on Wednesday raided Kencana Capital Sdn Bhd, owned by Dr Mahathir’s second eldest son Mokhzani, and seized files related to 11 companies under the group.

They also raided Opcom Holdings Bhd, chaired by Mokhzani with Mukhriz Mahathir as shareholder, and Crescent Capital Sdn Bhd, where the former prime minister’s third son, Mirzan, is the chief executive officer.

Marina Mahathir, Dr Mahathir’s oldest child, said the raids on her brothers’ companies were not a coincidence.  

Johari said the IRB routinely investigated firms owned by the government, adding that “it won’t be a problem if companies had settled all their dues”. – August 11, 2017.