Only one of four Daim’s children has contacted MACC, says Azam

PUTRAJAYA: One of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin's four children has contacted graft busters following notices issued on them to present themselves to investigators. Read full story PUTRAJAYA: One of the late Tun Daim Zainuddin’s four children has contacted graft busters following notices issued on them to present themselves to investigators.Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the notices were issued to the four to appear at MACC headquarters to assist investigations in Ops Godfather."Only one of the children has answered the notice while the other three could not be traced."We have contacted their lawyers to get in touch with them as soon as possible," he told reporters at the MACC headquarters on Wednesday (March 4).Azam said the investigation under Ops Godfather involves tracing assets believed to be linked to the case in several countries.“We have identified assets in several countries, although I do not wish to name the countries at this point. The value of these assets runs into billions of ringgit,” he said.He added that investigations are being carried out by the MACC’s Special Operations Division.According to Azam, the MACC is working closely with authorities from the countries involved as the process must comply with their respective laws under the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) framework.“We are collaborating and holding discussions with the relevant authorities because we must comply with their legal requirements under MLA,” he said.He added that the MACC will provide further updates once investigators obtain more information and a fuller list of assets linked to the case.Previously, the MACC had said the Notice to Trace Individuals issued against Daim's children is not a form of punishment or a “wanted list”, but a procedural step to ensure their attendance to assist in investigations.The MACC said the notice was not intended to shame any party, but was issued following the failure to respond and non-compliance with two official notices that had been served earlier.The investigation under Ops Godfather is being carried out under Section 23 and Section 36 of the MACC Act 2009 as well as Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLA) 2001.“The investigation began following the 2021 Pandora Papers revelations by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) regarding the existence of offshore companies and assets linked to Daim, his family members and business associates.“Preliminary intelligence led to the opening of investigation papers in 2023 and asset declaration notices were served between June and November that year, including five extensions, bringing the total compliance period to six months,” the MACC said.However, checks found there were still failures and non-compliance in the declaration of several assets, leading to charges being filed in Jan 2024 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.On Nov 20 last year, six new reports were opened following additional information from foreign enforcement agencies, including those from the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore.Six investigation papers were also opened against Daim’s wife Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid, Josephine Premla Sivaretnam and four children of Daim for allegedly failing to fully declare assets.The MACC said a Notice to Attend for Examination was served on Feb 13 through a law firm, with attendance set for March 11 this year but no response had been received as of Feb 26.The commission urged all individuals involved to immediately present themselves at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to assist in the investigation, stressing that all parties are subject to the rule of law. Related stories:‘Three of Daim’s children abroad’Three of Daim’s children abroad, one still in Malaysia, says Immigration DGDaim’s four children sought by MACCHigh Court allows nine to intervene in MACC application to freeze account linked to Daim's family, associates Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates! Tags / Keywords: MACC , Daim Zainuddin , Pandora Papers , Ops Godfather , Azam Baki , Children , assets , Investigation Report a mistake What is the issue about? Spelling and grammatical error Factually incorrect Story is irrelevant This field is mandatory. Please provide details of the report. Email (optional) Please enter valid email. Report issue Cancel Invalid captcha response. Please re-try again. Thank you for your report! Related News Nation 20h ago Penang DCM I finishes giving statement to MACC Nation 23h ago Penang DCM I continues recording statement at MACC for a second day Nation 1d ago Penang DCM arrives for second day of questioning by MACC