FIC probe: MACC detains two over London hotel purchase

An MACC source said the suspects arrested were a lawyer and a female assistant who was involved in managing the documentation of the sale and purchase agreement between the original owner and a third company before it was sold to FIC.

"The first suspect was a 44-year-old lawyer operating in Kuala Lumpur while the 29-year-old female suspect was a legal assistant at the law firm.

"Both were detained at around 4pm at the Putrajaya MACC headquarters," the source said when contacted here today.

According to the source, the lawyer also had links with the owner of the company which made the hotel's sales and purchase transaction with FIC.

"The woman suspect is believed to have played an important role in signing the sale and purchase agreement," the source said.

Meanwhile, MACC Investigation Department director Datuk Simi Abd Ghani confirmed the arrests, when contacted.

The two suspects will be remanded in Putrajaya Court tomorrow to facilitate investigations.

The latest arrests by MACC have brought the number arrested to three so far in connection with the hotel purchase. MACC does not rule out the possibility that there will be more arrests made later, he added.

On Monday, a 46-year-old former CEO of FIC was remanded four days until tomorrow. He was arrested at the MACC Headquarters after giving evidence for nearly 12 hours.

The MACC has opened an investigation paper on the purchase of the hotel believed to be purchased at a much higher price than the original price, causing the FELDA subsidiary to lose millions of ringgit. The FIC reported buying the four-star hotel in London at STG60 million (RM330 million) on Dec 16, 2014.