Anthony Loke: Sivakumar not a suspect in MACC investigation, no need to take leave from work
PUTRAJAYA, April 17 — There has been no talk of Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar taking leave from his official duties pending an alleged corruption investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today.
Loke said Sivakumar is not a suspect in the investigation.
“First of all he’s not a suspect and is giving his full cooperation to the authorities in his capacity as minister. So at this point we will continue to observe the situation and follow its development.
“There has also been no instructions from the prime minister to ask him to be put on leave,” Loke told a news conference at the Transport Ministry here.
At a separate event in the Le Meridien Hotel here earlier, Sivakumar told reporters that he was not a suspect in the MACC investigation that had seen two of his aides called up.
The human resources minister confirmed that he had gone to the national MACC headquarters yesterday and had his statement recorded not as a suspect, but did not provide further information.
Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today reported that the MACC investigation concerned millions of ringgit in kickback over foreign worker recruitment deals.
The Batu Gajah MP said he had gone to the national MACC headquarters here yesterday to have his statement recorded, and added that he had not been arrested.
Utusan Malaysia had earlier today reported that Sivakumar was called by the MACC to answer questions about alleged cash kickbacks from an unnamed businessman who had been detained alongside the two ministerial aides.
Citing an unnamed source, the Malay daily reported that Sivakumar had spent over nine hours with the MACC yesterday but was not arrested.
Sivakumar’s two aides were reported to have been arrested on two separate occasions last week.
One aide was arrested on April 13 together with a recruitment agent.
The second aide was reportedly nabbed on April 14.
According to Utusan Malaysia’s report today, both aides have been released but an unnamed businessman who was arrested by the MACC on an undisclosed date in connection with the case is currently under remand.
