SABAH Pakatan Harapan Youth wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to clarify its letter stating that there is “no criminal element” and “no further action” in the state’s Water Department graft scandal.

PH Youth’s Sabah chief, Razeef Hakimi, said the letter was MACC’s official response when queried on December 23 last year.

“We want MACC to confirm the authenticity of the letter as it has denied the claim and subsequently lodged a report over the matter,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

On July 30, it was reported that MACC had denied clearing the state Water Department of wrongdoing in its investigation, saying claims to the contrary originated from social media.

Razeef, who visited the the state MACC office today, said PH Youth had been at the office on Dec 23 last year seeking more information on the case.

He said PH Youth had received a written response, dated December 29 the same year, stating that the case had no criminal element and it was beyond MACC’s power to take action.

“PH Youth visited the MACC office again on Jan 14 this year to demand that the agency clarify its response.

“However, an officer said the case was being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.”

He said PH Youth then visited the office once more on January 17 to pressure MACC to make public details on its investigation following the letter stating that no criminal element had been found.

“An officer refused to give us approval as the case was set to go to court the following month.”

On July 30, a Facebook post on My Nation News said the MACC response was fake and the commission had lodged a report over the matter.

“PH Youth demands that MACC come clean on whether the letter it issued to us was genuine,” said Razeef.

“ If it was, then MACC owes us an apology.”

On December 29 last year, three people, including a former director and his wife, were charged with money laundering at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court. A hearing has been set for August 8.

Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, 54, was charged with 12 counts of engaging in a transaction involving the proceeds of an unlawful activity under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, and similarly acquiring, receiving, possessing, disguising, transferring, converting, exchanging, carrying, disposing of or using proceeds of an unlawful activity under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

His wife, Fauziah Piut, 51, as well as Lim Lam Beng, 62, were respectively charged with 23 similar counts under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, involving sums totalling RM4.6 million.

Lim is a former department deputy director and suspended state Finance Ministry adviser, according to reports.

The director and deputy director were alleged to have awarded federal projects to 38 proxy companies.

MACC arrested 24 people in connection with its investigation in October last year and seized RM190 million.

The agency had said it believed up to RM3.3 billion may have been siphoned from the state Water Department. – August 2, 2017.