PARTI Warisan Sabah (Warisan) Youth chief Azis Jamman and two Sabah Umno leaders were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Kota Kinabalu this afternoon to help investigations into RM1.5 billion of federal funds allegedly misappropriated from rural development projects in Sabah.

MACC deputy commissioner for operations Azam Baki confirmed the arrests.

Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua also confirmed Azis’ arrest to The Malaysian Insight.

“Azis was arrested at the MACC office in Kota Kinabalu at 5pm today,” he said.

The other two arrested were Tenom Umno Youth chief Jamawi Jaafar, 43, and Tawau Umno Youth chief Ariffin Kassim, 44. 

They were detained at the Sabah MACC headquarters and Tawau office respectively.

MACC will seek a remand order for the three at the magistrate’s court tomorrow.

Earlier, MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today that another arrest in connection to the probe was imminent. 

“We will call anyone whom we feel can help with the investigations. And so far, based on the information we received, after the Watergate (the Sabah Water Department case of last year) case, we have received a lot of information relating to (current investigations). We are focussing our efforts into this case.” 

Azis was called by MACC last night to give his details as the graft-busting agency widens its probe into funds misappropriated from projects that were supposed to be carried out by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

He was then ordered to present himself this morning for further questioning. 

At 10.20am today, Azis arrived at the Sabah MACC office accompanied by his family and party members.

He was seen entering the building and was met by awaiting MACC officers.

Azis, a former Semporna Umno Youth chief, left the party in 2015 and joined Warisan when Shafie Apdal, a former Umno vice-president, formed the party in 2016.

Shafie had led the Rural and Regional Development Ministry before he was sacked in 2015’s cabinet reshuffle that also saw Muhyiddin Yassin dropped as deputy prime minister.

The sacking was preceded by months of both men questioning Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

On Thursday, Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony, a 54-year-old businessman and a assistant secretary of the ministry were detained by MACC.

Anthony and the businessman have been remanded for five days from last Friday, while the 40-year-old senior officer will be remanded for six days.

On Saturday, Shafie slammed the arrest of Anthony as selective prosecution.

“The MACC probe now is to eliminate me, after they failed to pin the Sabah Water Department money laundering case on me,” Shafie said, referring to last year’s Sabah Water Department corruption case that involved at least RM52 million.

Initial reports of MACC’s investigations into the case cited 15 companies siphoning RM180 million in government funds meant for development projects in rural Sabah.

On Friday, Azam said that figure had now ballooned to a staggering RM1.5 billion.

He said investigators believe a network of 60 companies had colluded with Rural and Regional Development Ministry officials to pocket the money, which was part of the RM7.5 billion allocated to Sabah from 2010 to 2016 for water and electricity supply projects.

Dzulkifli today said Azam was the MACC’s pointman in the ivestigation.

“Regarding the operations in Sabah, we will update you from to time. The one responsible from now on is Datuk Seri Azam.

“Don’t look for me. Look for Datuk Seri Azam.” – October 9, 2017.