THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today hauled up PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan for questioning as part of its probe into the RM90 million donation from Umno.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that Takiyuddin arrived at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 9.20am. He is still in the building.

The latest development comes just days after MACC said it found no traces of the RM90 million, allegedly funnelled from 1MDB into the Islamist party’s official accounts.

The anti-graft agency previously recorded statements from PAS central committee member Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, former leader Nasharudin Mat Isa and Amanah vice-president Husam Musa.

Former Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan also assisted with the investigations.

The MACC is investigating allegations that several leaders of the opposition party received RM90 million suspected to be money from state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd just before the last elections.

On Monday, MACC chief commissioner Mohd Shukri Abdull had said investigations, which began earlier this month, found no evidence of any transaction that could be attributed to the allegation.

He, however, declined to elaborate on how many more witnesses would be called and whether MACC was ready to wrap up the case.

The Malaysian Insight reported last week that MACC has extended the scope of its probe to include PAS donors and supporters.

Sources said MACC’s initial investigations showed no direct money trail from the bank accounts of Umno to PAS, nor any transaction between the two parties’ members.

The MACC investigation was launched after PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang withdrew a suit filed against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown over her article on the RM90 million.  

The two parties reached a settlement out of court, the terms of which were undisclosed.

Rewcastle-Brown, however, said it was agreed that the “offending article” would not be removed. In the article, she alleges that RM90 million was deposited into the accounts of the top PAS leaders to ensure their support for Umno and Barisan Nasional.

Yesterday, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim offered “proof” in the form of bank statements that PAS paid RM1.42 million to Rewcastle-Brown as a settlement in the defamation suit. – February 28, 2019.