THE Kuching Magistrates’ Court today dismissed an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to remand the general manager of the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra), two staff members and a businessman.

Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar said investigation officer Mohd Ikhwan Mohd Pauzi failed to state the grounds why MACC wants to hold Salcra general manager Vasco Sabat Singkang, 69, staff Joseph Blandoi, 53, and Sikin Sentok, 52, and businessman Anthony Abang, 59, for seven days.

Vasco was arrested at the MACC office in Kuching but it was unclear where and when the others were arrested.

Mohd Syukri Mokhtar even stood the court down for half an hour to allow Ikhwan to find the grounds for the remand.

He could not do so when the proceeding resumed.

The charge sheet only stated the four men were being investigated under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act.

“It’s not a bona fide application,” Vasco’s lawyer Roger Chin told the press.

Journalists were barred from the court.

Chin said the MACC could not state the grounds yet as “it was a high profile case”.

He added he had argued how MACC handled former prime minister Najib Razak in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad case.

“He (Najib) was never remanded. Only held overnight in the MACC lockup before he was brought to court to be charged the next day.

“So, I asked why the double standard by MACC.

“This case is nowhere near (the magnitude of) 1MDB.”

Lawyer Shankar Ram Asnani, who represented Anthony, asked what was MACC trying to hide.

Sources say the four were being reinvestigated “over an old case” that had been closed. – September 4, 2019.