THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is waiting for evidence from the Australian police before it can charge those involved in the Mara property scandal, said chief commissioner Azam Bakri.

He said it had completed investigations in Malaysia but had to wait for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to complete its investigation.

“Recently, it was reported that several people had been charged there by the AFP. We’ve already communicated with the AFP.

“Several statements that we want from there will be acquired as soon as possible. We’ve also discussed with the Attorney-General’s chambers to look at possible charges against certain people in this country based on some of the statements we get from the AFP,” he told reporters after an event in the capital this morning.

Azam Bakri said if the law allowed for the anti-graft agency to charge any of those investigated, MACC will go ahead based on the evidence provided by AFP.

“What’s important is that certain people in Malaysia can be charged once approved by the deputy public prosecutor,” he said.

Australian newspaper The Age reported in 2015 that “a group of extremely rich Malaysian officials” overpaid by A$4.75 million (RM14.4 million) to buy an apartment in Melbourne in 2013.

The officials among them, a top MARA officer, a senior official and a former politician allegedly used government funds worth millions of Ringgit to purchase an apartment block at Dudley International House offering nearly A$5 million higher than the original A$17.8 million price.

The nearly the A$5 million was to have been paid out as kickbacks, including to two individuals allegedly named Zach Zainal and Erwan Azizi.

The individuals were to influence a Malaysian public official to secure the sale of the apartment block.

Teen Boon Lye was charged on July 9 with bribing a foreign official, and four counts of false accounting relating to the sale in 2013 of a student accommodation block called Dudley House – then bought by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA). – September 15, 2020.