DEPUTY PRESIDENT SALLEH ON LEAVE AFTER SON,AIDE ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION PROBE
KEBUNAN: Kangkungland Deputy President Salleh Muhammad Hamid (pic below) who is also the Minister for Public Works,Housing and Infrastructure has taken indefinite leave from his posts, starting today.
Members of the media were made to understand that Salleh, whose son and special officer were arrested by the country's Independent Commission for the Eradication of Corruption (ICEC) for alleged involvement in corruption and a property scam in the state, had asked for the leave approval from President Abdul Aziz Latif this morning.
Salleh was said to have held a brief meeting with the president at the latter’s office at 9.30am before the scheduled executive cabinet meeting took place.
“He (Salleh) will go on leave to settle all issues involving his family and officer,” said Information,Multimedia and Communication Minister Gilbert Ajiun, who confirmed the matter to the media.
Gilbert said all matters concerning Salleh’s portfolios were suspended. Administrative-related matters would be referred to the state secretary and other policy-related matters would be handled by the president.
Elaborating, Gilbert said the leave application did not mean that Salleh was involved in the issue.
“He (Salleh) is neither involved in the investigations nor the accusation. We have to be clear about that," said Gilbert adding that the corruption issue was not even discussed at the cabinet meeting today.
Instead, he said the president had only informed the cabinet members about Salleh’s leave application.
On Feb 24, six men, including the deputy president’s son and special officer, were arrested by the ICEC for alleged involvement in a corruption and a property scam in the state.
The ICEC also seized 21 luxury cars and five high-powered motorcycles – from luxury names such as Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Range Rover and Harley Davidson – during a swoop that began on Friday morning.
Some of the luxury vehicles seized from the suspects.
Besides the son and special officer, two developers, a lawyer and another person were also arrested.
A total of 45 bank accounts which contained 15.5 million Kangkung Peso (about US$5.2 million) belonging to the six suspects has been frozen.
Foreign currency amounting to 500,000 Kangkung Peso (about US$167,000) as well as stacks of documents were also seized.
It is believed that the suspects, aged between 25 and 50, have allegedly been getting kickbacks for reducing land premiums on land approved for housing projects and industries.
They are also involved in converting the status of buildings around Kangkungland.
Sources said the lawyer was involved in preparing the legal documents for the projects.
Suspects being led away from court.
It is learnt that the ICEC, which has been probing the land scandal for the past six months, is expecting to make more arrests.
In a statement, ICEC deputy chief commissioner (Operations) Mazalan Ikab said the alleged corrupt practices are believed to have led to millions of ringgit in losses to the government’s coffers.
“We are now examining the seized documents,” he said, adding that witnesses are expected to be called in.
The ICEC has obtained a seven-day remand order on the six suspects starting yesterday.
The case is being investigated under Section 1(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act, which carries a jail term of up to 30 years and a fine of 100,000 Kangkung Peso (about US$34,000) or five times the value of the bribe, or whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Source:Kangkungland Bulletin