Daim Zainuddin, an ally of former PM Mahathir Mohamad, has described the investigation as a ‘political witch-hunt’.
Malaysia’s anticorruption company has stated it was investigating Daim Zainuddin, a former finance minister and key ally of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, below the nation’s abuse of energy and cash laundering legal guidelines.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Fee (MACC) confirmed media reviews this month that it had seized Ilham Tower, a 60-storey constructing in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, as a part of its investigation into Daim.
Daim, 85, stated in an announcement on Thursday that he denied all wrongdoing and stated he was not knowledgeable what offence he had allegedly dedicated regardless of repeated queries to the MACC.
He additionally described the probe towards him as a “political witch-hunt” pushed by the anticorruption company and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who got here to energy final 12 months, has promised to weed out high-level corruption. In March this 12 months, he promised to deal with corruption “without fear or favour“. However he has additionally confronted accusations by some critics of focusing on political rivals.
The MACC asserted that it had acted independently based on the regulation and that it had opened investigations towards Daim in February based mostly on info contained within the Pandora Papers – a large leak of economic data in 2021 which revealed offshore property held by politicians and public figures worldwide.
In it, Daim, his associates and relations had been reported to have held property value not less than 25 million kilos ($31.82m).
The MACC stated it had requested Daim to declare his property in June and granted 5 extensions to the previous minister to take action – the most recent on November 14.
It added that “he has each alternative to clear his identify if the case is dropped at the court docket of regulation”.
Daim held the finance portfolio twice: between 1984 and 1991, when he was succeeded by Anwar; and from 1999 to 2001 after Anwar was sacked by then-PM Mahathir for alleged corruption and sodomy.
Although retired from lively politics, Daim stays an influential determine.
In 2018, when Mahathir got here out of retirement and returned as prime minister, he appointed Daim to steer a authorities advisory council tasked with scrutinising all the things from authorities insurance policies to the administration of state-linked corporations.
Daim additionally led talks to renegotiate a number of offers with China, together with the East Coast Rail Hyperlink mission, a part of Beijing’s Belt and Street Initiative.