Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(July 24): A 28-year-old owner of a trading company was the latest to be detained over investigations into debt-ridden state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Ariffin Ismail Shahul Hameed was remanded today for four days, until July 27.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairy had requested for a seven-day remand order but Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman only allowed four days.

The man was detained at 10.45pm last night under Section 16 (a) of the MACC Act to assist in investigations, an agency spokesman said.

The man is believed to be the sole owner of a trading company based in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

The suspect is the third to be arrested in relation to ongoing investigations by a task force investigating 1MDB as well as a trail of money leading to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The MACC spokesman said that the man had come willingly to their office to have his statement recorded and was subsequently detained.

MACC detained two others earlier this week as part of its investigations into the controversial state investment vehicle.

Jerome Lee, 39, who is group executive director of construction firm Putrajaya Perdana Berhad and had previously been employed as an investment director with 1MDB, was arrested on Monday.

He was picked up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before boarding a flight to Taiwan, under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act for receiving bribes and remanded for four days.

Lee was released today on a RM100,000 police bail.

Sources in the investigating team told The Malaysian Insider that one of Lee's companies had dealings with SRC International Sdn Bhd, a Finance Ministry-owned entity that was previously a 1MDB subsidiary.

It is also learnt that Lee had had a stint at 1MDB in 2011.

Following Lee's arrest, Datuk Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman of Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd was also picked up by MACC on Tuesday.

Shamsul was detained at The Curve shopping mall in Mutiara Damansara and brought to the headquarters of the anti-graft authority for questioning, where he was arrested.

Shamsul was remanded for five days on Wednesday. – The Malaysian Insider

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