Dr M: Insufficient evidence in Yapeim funds abuse probe

PARLIAMENT | MACC did not find sufficient evidence to pursue charges in a case where funds of the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim) had allegedly been misused to pay legal fees for a former board member, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

In a written reply to Parliament yesterday, the prime minister said MACC made the conclusion after investigating the allegation.

”MACC investigated the (alleged) abuse of Yapeim funds by a former board member to pay his legal fees. There was insufficient evidence to take further action under the MACC Act 2009,” he said.

Mahathir was replying to a question posed by Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani) for an update into the probe.

Last month, a news portal reported that a total of RM1 million from funds meant to help orphans were allegedly misused in 2017 to pay the legal fees of a lawyer, who was also an aide to former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

”According to discussion notes on Yapeim’s financial expenditures, the money was channelled to settle the legal fees of the lawyer, who was an adviser to former prime minister Najib and a director for Yapeim in 2017,” said the report by The Malaysian Insight, which was published on May 11.