(July 6): Deputy Umno Youth chief Khairul Azwan Harun has denied a claim by National Oversight and Whistblowers' (NOW) that he was involved in a RM63 million Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) scandal in Australia.

Khairul said NOW director Rafizi Ramli's claim was false and defamatory, and warned him to correct his statement in two days or face legal action.

"Rafizi has implicated my name in the transaction but I know nothing of it and am not involved at all.

“But he still mentioned my name in his statement. I think it is wrong and inaccurate.

"I hope Rafizi corrects his statement and I will not hesitate to take legal action over the statement Rafizi issued today," said Khairul when met by reporters at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur today.

"I will wait and give him a chance, because this is defamation, as if I was involved when in fact I have nothing to do with it."

Earlier today, Rafizi, who is also PKR's Pandan MP, said several Umno Youth members and those close to them had been involved in Mara's Australian property deal.

The PKR secretary-general produced documents and alleged that five individuals were involved in signing off the property purchase though they had nothing to do with Mara at the time of purchase.

Mara Inc had declared the purchase price for 746 Swanston Street at RM138.6 million, but Rafizi earlier today said based on data from a property listing site, they apparently paid only RM75 million for 281 units at the property, but the balance of RM63 million approved by Mara is unaccounted for.

Rafizi also alleged that Thrushcross Land Holdings Limited, the offshore company in British Virgin Island which Mara used for the purchase, was only registered in January 2013, meaning the company was not in existence when the transaction was first completed in August 2012.

Instead, it was two out of the five individuals who signed off the purchase, but Rafizi alleged that he had information that three other individuals, including two in the Umno Youth leadership circle, were "pulling the strings from the shadows".

Rafizi also said he had information that these individuals "benefited" from the whole transaction.

Mara, a trust for the advancement of Malays in various fields, has been in the limelight over property purchases in Melbourne, after Australian newspaper The Age revealed last month that top government officials linked to the agency had overpaid for an apartment block and pocketed the difference in bribes.

This led to further exposes by Rafizi on other properties purchased that were allegedly bought at inflated prices. – The Malaysian Insider