SHAFIE Apdal has today been called again by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, an officer from the commission confirmed.

The Parti Warisan Sabah president was questioned from 10am to 2pm at the Sabah MACC office, the officer said on condition of anonymity.

None of Warisan’s top leadership or members were available to confirm Shafie’s four-hour meeting with the graft busters.

However, one of Shafie’s lawyer said that “he was only called to provide a regular explanation”. 

Berita Harian had earlier reported Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua Jr as saying that Shafie was called over an old case that the MACC had reopened.

The Malay language daily reported that Shafie had been called in over his recommendation for a company trying to land a RM43 million maintenance project from a university in Sabah.

It could not be ascertained what the connection between the university and the Rural and Regional Development Ministry is, as universities are under the purview of the Higher Education Ministry.

In 2012, the MACC launched a probe against a company owned by Shafie’s ally, Peter Anthony, over false claims involving a RM43 million contract for mechanical and engineering maintenance work at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

However, the MACC cleared the allegations against Anthony, who is now a Warisan vice-president, on August 9 that same year.

The MACC is currently investigating the alleged embezzlement of RM1.5 billion in federal funds meant for rural projects in Sabah under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry between 2009 and 2010.

Shafie was its minister at the time.

Shafie had been remanded by the MACC for eight days to facilitate in the investigation. – November 6, 2017.