Police to record statements from witnesses over COVID-19 Sinovac offer to Penang

Penang police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan said so far, six police reports on the matter had been lodged by individuals representing political parties and from the Penang Chief Minister's office.

"On May 19, the Penang police received a report regarding a statement by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin that the vaccine offer made to the Penang Chief Minister was a scam.

"Following the police report, an investigation was conducted by the Penang Commercial Crime Investigation Department under Sections 420 and 511 of the Penal Code," he said in a statement today.

He said the investigation was still at an early stage where several more actions needed to be taken, including recording statements of witnesses from the relevant companies, the office of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme and the Penang Chief Minister's office.

According to Sahabudin, preliminary investigation found that the person who wrote the letter offering two million doses of Sinovac vaccine to the Penang Chief Minister was a representative from Xintai Development Enterprise Ltd, whose appointment in the company was made verbally.

The person was not the company's managing director as stated in the letter, he said,

"The individual who claimed to be a representative of Xintai Development Enterprise Ltd is believed to be trying to deceive the Penang state government by offering two million doses of Sinovac vaccine which is believed to be non-existent," he added.

He said investigation was still in progress and that the investigating paper would be submitted to the prosecutor's office for further action upon completion.