THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission will investigate if companies which have been linked to the graft charges filed yesterday against former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are involved in corruption.

However, MACC deputy chief commissioner Azam Baki declined to comment if the anti-graft body has identified the companies allegedly involved in the scandal.

“If the companies are involved in corruption we will investigate,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Several companies were named in the charges against Zahid, who faces 45 counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money-laundering involving RM114.15 million.

One of them is Mastoro Kenny IT Consultant & Services, from whom Zahid allegedly received gratification amounting to RM13.25 million, paid by cheques, between July, 2016 and February, 2017, purportedly as inducement for projects on the government’s MyEG electronic platform.

Another company mentioned is Jogabonito Jewellery & Diamond, which issued one of the cheques to Zahid on behalf of Mastoro Kenny.

Also mentioned is Data Sonic Bhd, from which Zahid is said to have received gratification amounting to RM6 million from a director named Chew Ben Ben, as reward for appointing the company to supply 12.5 million biodata passport chips for five years. 

Profound Radiance Sdn Bhd is mentioned in connection with charges that Zahid received gratification for the appointment of a service provider for the Home Ministry’s one-stop centre for Pakistani and Nepali workers.

The Datasonic Group and MyEG Services Bhd yesterday moved to clear their names in statements to Bursa Malaysia, following Zahid’s arraignment.

MyEG said it had no knowledge of nor dealings with Mastoro Kenny, while Datasonic said neither the company nor any of its directors had ever made payments to secure the contract to supply passport chips.

MyEG, in a second statement filed with Bursa yesterday, said MACC had sent it written confirmation that it was not under investigation.

Meanwhile, at an event later, Azam added that confirmation of any involvement of otherwise of any company would only come from the MACC. 

“The clarification will come from the MACC. If our investigation shows that the company is not involved in any corruption, they are not guilty,” he said after a corruption-free pledge oath-taking ceremony for the Badminton Association of Malaysia at the Malaysian Badminton Academy today.

“We investigate whoever is involved in corruption. So far, one company has said it was not involved… it is up to them to say,” he added.

He said this after MyEG Services Bhd yesterday denied it was involved in the case.

Its board of directors said the MACC was not investigating the company nor was it involved in investigations leading to the charges against Zahid. – October 20, 2018.