Former Warisan minister’s aide remanded by MACC

(FMT) – A former political secretary to an ex-Warisan federal minister was today remanded for six days by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for a probe into a Risda land deal.

It was learned that the lawyer was detained in the nation’s capital yesterday and flown back to Sabah the same day.

His case is believed to be linked to a Risda land deal in which Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Peter Anthony and another are now facing several charges.

Magistrate Aifq Agoes issued the remand order here today after an application by the MACC, who had initially applied for a seven-day remand.

The lawyer was represented by counsel Dominic Chew and Faezah Abby Ibnu while MACC was represented by its prosecuting officer, Mohd Faliq Basirudin.

Anthony had previously pleaded not guilty to abetting Michael Persius Ubu, the lawyer hired by Risda to see through the purchase of a plot of land in Tongod, in interior Sabah.

The case involves RM15,545,400 worth of funds from the federal agency said to have been used to acquire 2,740ha of land in Kampung Sungai Pinangah and Kampung Sungai Laban.

Anthony, who is Melalap assemblyman, also faces five counts of money laundering amounting to RM8.75 million.

Ubu, meanwhile, had pleaded not guilty to criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to RM18,545,400 in connection with the Risda land deal.

The arrest of the lawyer comes after the remand of a director of a state government department yesterday in a separate case.

He is being investigated in connection with graft activities over previous infrastructure development projects.

The director, in his 50s, was detained by the MACC when he went to give a statement at their office on Wednesday.

FMT has reached out to the Sabah MACC but they have not given any response so far.

It is learned that a team from Putrajaya is carrying out the probe.