Mastermind to face more charges
PUTRAJAYA: The senior civil servant who allegedly masterminded the multi-million ringgit scam will appear again in court soon to face over 60 charges of money laundering.
It is learnt that Otman Arsahd, who served as the Youth and Sports Ministry’s finance division under-secretary, will face a long list of charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Acts. He is expected to be charged over every transaction he made using money from the illegal proceeds.
The 57-year-old public officer is already facing 32 charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
MACC investigations director Datuk Azam Baki said Otman was rearrested on Thursday to allow commission officers continue their investigations on his money laundering activities.
“We pored over every transaction he made, from overseas trips to purchases of handbags and jewellery. We have so far found about 60 transactions but we believe there are more,” he told The Star.
Two contractors – one of them believed to have made up to 60 transactions using the ill-gotten gains – will also be charged with money laundering.
The three are expected to face charges over the next two weeks, said Azam. Otman is facing 32 counts of misusing his position and forging documents to the tune of RM38.5mil.
On Thursday, he claimed trial to 17 charges of giving payment letters containing false information via the ministry’s account to National Sports Council finance division director Abdul Rashid Yaakub to pay RM36,310,400 to three companies for the supply of the ministry’s equipment and programmes which did not exist.
He also faces another 15 charges of using his position by directing the council’s director-general to pay RM2,161,000 to Syarikat Dial Ex Sdn Bhd, in which his sons Arif Azuan and Arif Azmin have interest, for “futsal programmes”.
Two other officers were among 13 people also arrested.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/04/02/mastermind-to-face-more-charges-first-graft-now-money-laundering/
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