Liew should clarify RM3.5 million political funds – Chin
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Liew Vui Keong, the former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president, should be the one to clarify the whereabouts of the RM3.5 million alleged to have been given by ex-prime minister cum former Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the party.
LDP acting president Datuk Chin Su Phin said Liew, who is now the de facto Law Minister, would know best where the monies had been spent.
Chin said LDP had received RM3.5 million between 2012 and 2013 during Liew’s tenure as party president, but the party had no idea the monies were linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) back then as the scandal had not been exposed.
He said Liew had told the supreme council members that he had received the funds from Najib for election expenses before the 13th general election (GE13).
Of the RM3.5 million, he said RM2 million was withdrawn by Liew on April 22, 2013, followed by RM910,000 on May 2, 2013 and RM100,000 on May 3, 2013, which totaled RM3.01 million.
“Cheques issued by our party must be signed by the treasurergeneral, and either the president or secretary-general,” he said in a statement yesterday.
During Liew’s tenure as president, Chin said Teo, the then secretary-general, had never signed the party’s cheques.
“In GE13, Liew had asked Kent Fong, the then treasurer-general to pre-sign a cheque to withdraw RM2 million (from the party’s account).”
He said the RM2 million withdrawal was the only cheque Liew requested Fong to pre-sign. After GE13, Chin said LDP went through a leadership crisis and Liew did not have the opportunity to clarify where the monies had been used.
Chin disclosed that the party had requested Maybank to produce photocopies of the three cheques.
“There is no need to debate, the photocopies will show who signed and cashed out the monies.”
He said the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the police had contacted the party to give its statement on the RM3.5 million political contribution.
“I, as the acting president, and secretary general, Datuk Yong Wui Chung, brought along the party’s ledgers and bank statements to show the police.
“The police wanted to know how the funds were being spent and we did not have the answer to that because we were not the ones who withdrew the monies, nor did we have receipts or proof that we could produce to show the expenses.”
Chin said the police were satisfied with their statements and had told him that Liew would be contacted to record his statement as well.
“This whole incident stemmed from a blogger.
“LDP did not accuse Liew of anything. You (Liew) just need to clarify the political funds with the police. It’s that simple.”
On another note, Chin said former organizing secretary Phillip Tsen’s accusations pertaining to the RM3.5 million election funds was baseless and defamatory in nature.
“I reserve the right to seek legal action for his defamatory statements.”
He said Tsen, the then organizing secretary, was stripped of his party membership for forging the signature of the party president when Liew helmed LDP.
“Liew had decided not to involve the police at that time.
“In what capacity did Tsen made all these unfounded accusations against LDP? Was he instructed by someone else to do so?” Chin wondered.
Meanwhile, Fong also confirmed that the party has received political donations for election expenses.
Fong said he and Liew, the then party president, had signed three cheques to withdraw funds for election expenses.
Nonetheless, he said, the police had recorded the statements regarding the RM3.5 million funds and that completed the official procedure.