KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia on Monday charged its former finance minister with failing to comply with notices to declare assets under the country's anti-corruption law, amid a crackdown on corruption by prominent political and business figures.
Daim Zainuddin, 85, a key ally of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has maintained his innocence. If convicted, Dime could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 ringgit ($21,159.54).
Dime, who served as finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and 1999 to 2001, appeared in court on Monday, where his lawyer cited health problems in seeking bail.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who campaigned on a reformist platform and vowed to fight high-level corruption, faced accusations that he used the country's anti-corruption agency to target political opponents. confronting. He said Mr. Anwar had not interfered with the authorities' investigation.
Mr Daim said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) based on information contained in the Pandora Papers, a major leak of financial records in 2021 that revealed offshore assets held by politicians and celebrities around the world. The charges were filed following an investigation into the former minister.
Last month, MACC seized Ilham Tower, a 60-story building in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, as part of its investigation into Dime.
Mr Daim's wife, Naima Abdul Khalid, was also charged in court last week with failing to disclose assets to the Anti-Corruption Commission. She maintained her innocence.
Mr Daim described the investigation against him as a “political witch hunt” led by anti-corruption agencies and Mr Anwar, who he replaced as finance minister in 1991.
MACC announced last month that it acted independently and in accordance with the law when launching an investigation into Daim in February 2023.
Mr. Anwar and Mr. Mahathir have been embroiled in an on-again, off-again feud for decades, with Mr. Anwar, a former protégé of the elder statesman, imprisoned on sodomy and corruption charges, charges that have been politically motivated. It is said that
After more than two decades as opposition leader, Anwar was pardoned and became prime minister in 2022, vowing to fight corruption and focus on the economy.
(1 dollar = 4.7260 ringgit)
(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by Martin Petty and Jamie Freed)
