THE arrests of Parti Warisan Sabah leaders over alleged graft are a Barisan Nasional tactic to gather information on the party, said vice-president Peter Anthony.

“BN is using all sorts of techniques, giving cash aid, ‘blue tanks’, and now, arresting people who pose a threat to the coalition,” he said, breaking his silence following a seven-day remand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“While I was in detention, the officers questioned me about Warisan’s strength, and whether I would contest in the next general election.

“I told them I would contest in Sibuga (in Sandakan), and go against Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman there head on,” he said at the Bicara Pemimpin Warisan event in Tuaran today, which was attended by more than 2,000 people.

Present were party president Mohd Shafie Apdal, deputy president Darell Leiking, treasurer Terrence Siambun and Youth chief Azis Jamman.

Anthony was, last week, remanded for seven days as part of MACC investigations into a failed land deal in Tongod district.

He said the case was not within the agency’s scope of work, and that the courts had, in 2015, cleared him of involvement in the land deal.

“It is not supposed to be a case for MACC, but one for police’s commercial crime division.”

Anthony said the spate of arrests involving Warisan leaders last year would not be the last, and that he had indicated to Shafie that the both of them would be arrested again.

The 47-year-old businessman turned politician was detained on October 5 and again on January 6 over his role in the alleged embezzlement of RM1.5 billion in federal funds meant for rural projects in Sabah, and a failed land deal involving the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

Shafie, too, was arrested over the alleged embezzlement of federal funds.

Anthony’s latest arrest was over a 10% deposit, or RM15 million, that was supposed to be refunded to Risda.

Michael Ubu, the lawyer appointed by Risda to handle the land deal, has since gone missing, and MACC has yet to get information on his whereabouts. – January 14, 2018.