THE son-in-law of Hamid Apdal has been detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in connection with the embezzlement of RM1.5 billion of federal funds meant for Sabah rural projects.

According to sources, the 33-year-old businessman was remanded around 5.15pm today.

He was detained to assist the MACC in its investigation into alleged misappropriation of RM1.5 billion of federal funds meant for water, electricity and road projects in rural Sabah.

The money was part of a RM7.5 billion federal allocation to the state through the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, from 2009 to 2015.

Shafie, who was the rural and regional development minister as well as the Umno vice-president at the time, has called the probe “selective prosecution”.

He has denied practising corruption and abuse of power while he was in government. 

MACC has frozen some RM180 million in 10 bank accounts and is probing into 70 projects related to the suspected financial misconduct.

Hamid’s son-in-law is the eighth person to be detained in the ongoing investigation for graft and power abuse.

Hamid, the younger brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal, was remanded on October 11. 

Others who have been or are remanded are Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony, 46, Warisan Youth Chief Azis Jamman, 43, businessman Yu Sin Kong, 52, a civil servant with the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, two Tenom Umno youth chief, Jamawi Jaafar, and Tawau Umno youth chief Ariffin Kassim, 43.

Anthony was remanded for eight days, three of which were spent in the hospital, before he was allowed MACC bail on October 13. – October 14, 2017.