Mara Chair Urges Investigation Into Melbourne Corruption Allegations

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Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has called on all parties to allow room for an investigation into corruption allegations in the sale of property in Melbourne to Mara Incorporated Sdn Bhd (Mara Inc) in 2013
This comes after Boon Lye Teen, also known as Dennis Teen, a Malaysian residing in Australia, was charged on July 9 for bribing a foreign official and four counts of false accounts related to the sale in 2013 of a student accommodation block called Dudley House in Melbourne to Mara Incorporated Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Majilis Amanah Rakyat (Mara)
According to recently appointed Mara chairperson Azizah Mohd Dun, since the case was raised by the Australian authorities in mid-2015, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Mara and Mara Inc have given full cooperation in investigating the issue
“Mara also greatly appreciates the concern of the public and the media regarding this issue
"However, I call on all parties to give space to the authorities to conduct an investigation based on the provisions of the existing law," said Azizah, who is also Beaufort MP, in a statement today
Teen, 68, was charged with bribing a foreign public official on March 8, 2013, in Vermont South, Melbourne
The charges came five years after an investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald which revealed the price of the property had allegedly been inflated by AU$4.75 million (RM14.25 million) to provide kickbacks to a group of Malaysian officials
According to the court documents filed at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, it was alleged that the agreed sale price for the property was AU$17.85 million (RM53.55 million) but it was later sold for AU$22.6 million (RM67.8 million), with US$4.75 million (RM14.25 million) paid to Malaysian officials
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has also called on the MACC to take the cue from the Australian investigators who named two “middlemen” known as Zach Zainal and Erwan Azizi as having received the RM14.25 million to be used as bribes to influence a Malaysian public official to obtain or retain business, namely in the sale of a residential apartment complex
She called on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to back up anti-corruption talk with action and urged the MACC to probe the matter
On March 18, 2016, it was reported that then Mara chairperson Annuar Musa had delivered documents related to the purchase to the MACC
On Nov 30, 2017, then Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was reported to have said MACC had almost completed with the Mara property scandal probe, and MACC was waiting for a report from the Australian authorities regarding the transactions. - Mkini

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