Ex-minister Xavier, too, under graft investigation

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is also investigating former minister Xavier Jayakumar, following the arrest of his close associate MA Tinagaran last week.

“It is up to them to tell anything, but I can confirm that both men are under investigation,” Azam Baki, the anti-graft body’s chief commissioner, was quoted by Malay daily Utusan Malaysia as saying during his session with Malay language news editors.

Tinagaran was released yesterday after he was remanded by MACC over a graft investigation believed to be linked to sand mining projects awarded by the water, land and natural resources ministry, which Xavier headed under the Pakatan Harapan government.

MACC said it had also arrested two company directors, adding that cash worth RM1.2 million and a luxury car were also confiscated during the operation.

The commission also froze individual and company bank accounts worth some RM77 million.

Yesterday Tinagaran, who is the Perak PKR deputy chairman, claimed that MACC had only seized cash worth RM17,000, adding that investigators had acted professionally.

“I hold to the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, I have confidence in the ability of my lawyers,” he said in a message to party members after he was released on RM20,000 bail.

Xavier has since admitted that Tinagaran was a close family friend, but denied that he acted as a special officer for him during his time as a minister.