THE five JJPTR accounts police said were frozen for investigations are empty, the unlicensed forex trading entity’s founder Johnson Lee said.

In a message to JJPTR investors, Lee said the funds in the accounts had already been moved out.

“The five frozen accounts have no money. I had moved the funds out earlier, so don’t worry.

“The bank accounts are not registered under my name. So if they want to investigate, they won’t know much,” he said in the message.

The WhatsApp message, which bore Johnson Lee’s name, was shared by an investor with The Malaysian Insight today. The Malaysian Insight, however, could not verify the authencity of the WhatsApp with JJPTR as their offices have been closed since Friday’s raid.

The investor, who did not want to be identified, said he received the message over the weekend. The WhatsApp message was written in Chinese.

Officers from Bukit Aman’s CCID, the Anti-Money Laundering Act investigation team, Bank Negara, the Internal Revenue Board, National Revenue Recovery Enforcement team, Cyber Security and the Companies Commission of Malaysia confiscated documents, computers, other equipment and cash during last Friday’s raids.

The police also detained 15 JJPTR employees and four investors to record their statements. All 19 have since been released.

In a statement last Friday, CCID director Commissioner Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said police are investigating the forex trading entity JJPTR for cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

He also said the police had frozen several accounts belonging to the company based in Penang under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

In his message, Lee said many IBs (introduce brokers) and members had been asking him about what happened, what to do next and whether the refunding exercise would be jeopardised.

He told them not to worry as he had consulted his lawyers and “our conclusion is the issue is not big”, even if he faced any legal action.

He said even if the authorities had seized documents and information from JJPTR offices, the papers “can’t prove anything”.

“Maybe some members and foreign media may feel I am challenging the authorities or giving fake assurances to investors, but I wish to say time will prove everything.

“What happened won’t affect the company’s operations, I will continue my work. I guarantee that members will get their refunds,” he said.

Lee also assured investors with disabilities, who had not received their refunds, that they would be getting their money starting from the 15th (today).

Last week, he returned 100 investors with disabilities their money at a ceremony organised by Gerakan in Kuala Lumpur. He had earlier said he would give the special needs group priority.

Lee also told JJPTR members that the JJPTR event to celebrate the company’s second anniversary at Berjaya Times Square this Saturdaywould proceed.

The 28-year-old reiterated in his message that he would attend the event as planned.

“I will be there. I have not fled as some people had claimed,” he said.

On JJPTR’s new investment plan which was to start today, he said interested members should contact IBs and branches near them for further explanation.

Lee ended his message by saying he had learned his lesson from this episode.

“No matter what the challenge, I won’t fall,” he said, adding that he was thankful to those who had been supporting him.

“As I have always said, JJPTR will not close down and we will rise again,” he said. – May 15, 2017.