KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained Parti Warisan Sabah vice president Peter Anthony in its investigation into alleged embezzlement of funds for rural development projects.
According to sources, the 46-year-old politician cum businessman was detained when he turned up to give his statement at MACC head office here at 6.40pm yesterday.
Anthony is expected to be taken to the Magistrate’s Court here for a remand order today.
A 52-year-old company director and a 40-year-old former senior civil servant were said to have also been detained in connection with the case.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad said MACC had frozen RM179 million in bank accounts, including RM29 million yesterday, in connection with the case.
“Yesterday we have frozen more than RM150 million in the bank accounts in a recent Sabah case and I was told just now another RM29 million (in the bank accounts) had been frozen today,” he said yesterday when delivering his speech at the 9th International Conference on Financial Crime and Terrorism Financing in Kuala Lumpur.
On Wednesday, MACC investigators swooped in on 15 locations in Sabah during an operation.
It is believed that Anthony was among several businessmen and contractors in Sabah who had obtained projects under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
He had reportedly denied making a false claim of over RM42 million for a work contract with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
The report said he had received a certificate confirming it had completed the contract from UMS in compliance with all stipulated rules and scope of work.