I have nothing to hide – Datuk
Datuk Peter Anthony, the managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd, denied a newspaper report that he was on the run, saying he was in fact giving his full cooperation to the investigators from MACC.
“I am a Datuk, I am 41 years old and the MACC had come to my office according to the news report that said that I was on the run. I am not on the run as reported,” he said.
“I was in Kuala Lumpur when they (MACC) came to my office (in Kota Kinabalu). My staff informed me and I asked them to give them whatever they needed,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
His company was reportedly under investigation over alleged false claims involving a RM43 million contract for mechanical and electrical maintenance work at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
Anthony disclosed that upon his return, he met with the MACC officers who came to his office on Thursday and Friday, and gave them his full cooperation.
He said MACC wanted a technical report on their contract from 2007-2010 which they were in the process of assisting.
“I have nothing to hide as I want to clear my name and that of my company,” he said in reference to a news report on Thursday which stated that a department director at UMS was also investigated.
Describing the allegations as just rumours, Anthony said it was meant to smear his image as one of the leaders in KDM Malaysia, an NGO entity that strongly supports the Barisan Nasional (BN).
He also clarified that he was just an ordinary member of Umno and not an Umno division deputy chief.
“I do not hold any position in Umno,” he said, adding that his position as the vice president of KDM Malaysia is not in any way connected to Umno.
Anthony said his company had been sincere with all the works carried out in the university, stressing that everything was according to the law and procedures set by the UMS.
“The contract between the company and UMS is a contract that has been agreed upon by both entities. In fact, before the contract was formalised, the university had the rights to scrutinise any mistake or problems in the contract before it was handed over to the company to be sealed,” he said.
Anthony said that from the allegations, it was about changing the bill of quantity and not the price being jacked up or contract worth that had been set by the government.
“We adhere to the project worth set by the Government and (it) has not been changed. Because the contract is a lump-sum basis, the amount should not be more than what has been decided by the Ministry of Finance. Besides, in the contract, there is arbitration that each contract between UMS and Asli Jati is a valid contract,” he said.
Anthony said that any deficiency or excess would be valued at the end of the contract in July, and if there is any extra, the university or the company would return it.
“So, there is no such thing as we have misappropriated government’s money.
“This is not the first time such allegation was made. It had happened three times before. To me the allegations are only rumours. If my company has committed wrongdoing, I would be fully responsible for it,” he said.
Meanwhile, UMS vice-chancellor Datuk Kamaruzaman Ampon has dismissed as false the news reports that MACC officers raided the UMS campus.
He had instructed the UMS internal audit division to seek MACC’s services to conduct the probe after suspecting abuse of authority and corruption in the administrative management, he said in a statement.
After several series of auditing and investigation, the university’s Internal Audit Division discovered a few suspicious administration management which involved abuse of power and corruption.
In line with the government’s effort to curb corruption, the UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon has directed for the case to be reported to MACC for further investigation.
“The media report stating that UMS was ambushed by MACC officers was untrue as the case was referred to the department for investigation,” he said, adding that it was part of UMS’ effort to empower its integrity to combat power abuse and corruption.
MACC yesterday confirmed that an investigation is being conducted into allegations of false claims.
Sabah MACC director Jalil Jaafar said the investigation is being handled by the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
“Sabah MACC has nothing to do with the probe,” he said.
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HENTIKAN SANDIWARA, TANGKAP PETER ANTHONY!
"Mengikut maklumat yang kita terima kos kedua-dua projek tersebut tidak sampai RM15 juta, tetapi oleh kerana untuk mencari dana politik, harganya dilonjakkan begitu tinggi,"
Timbalan Ketua Penerangan Angkatan Muda PKR Sabah, Citra Masadi
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Beliau sudah menjelaskan apa sebenarnya yang berlaku. Harap semua dapat menerima penjelasan itu dan tidak lagi menjadikan ini sebagai isu.
BalasPadamKepada pihak yang bertanggungjawab menyebarkan sebarang maklumat yang tidak berasas, sedar diri sebelum mengata orang lain!
BalasPadamThis is just another example of the misinterpretation of information
Padamhopefully the investigation will take its course there will be no more spin off rumours nor speculation.
BalasPadamharap kes tu segera diselesaikan memandang yang empunya diri sudah memberi jaminan akan memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya.
BalasPadamkena sabotaj kali dia tu
BalasPadamnampaknya dia tidak melarikan diri, dia akan memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya dalam kes tersebut.
BalasPadamkita hnya perlu tunggu hasil siasatan dalam kes ini.
BalasPadamThen we should allow the MACC to investigate this case fully, I'm sure they are in the midst of conducting the probe.
BalasPadamIf Peter Anthony is truly innocent, then the probe will only serve to clear his name.
BalasPadamNothing to be scared of if you are innocent.
PadamKhabar angin menuduh beliau telah lari padahal beliau tengah berada di KL. Memang susah nak percaya jhabar angin ni.
BalasPadamnampaknya ada pihak yang sengaja untuk memutarbelitkan kejadian tersebut.
BalasPadamperkara ini memang memberi imej negatif kepada individu tersebut dan juga UMS. entah pihak mana yang cuba untuk menyebarkan khabar2 angin ini.
BalasPadamIni cuma rekaan pihak tertentu yang mengatakan orang yang bergelar datuk itu lari kerana diburu oleh SPRM. Sebenarnya itu tidak benar.
BalasPadammungkin ada pihak atau syarikat lain yang yang tidak senang dengan projek yang diperolehi oleh Asli Jati sebab itu mereka menggunakan fitnah atau khabar angin untuk mensabotaj syarikat Asli Jati..
BalasPadamdunia persaingan dalam perniagaan hari ini, ada yang menggunakan cara bersih dan ada juga yang menggunakan cara kotor.. tunggu saja la hasil siasatan sprm..
BalasPadam