The seizure followed the arrest of four people, including a deputy director of a government department yesterday, and the opening of deposit boxes belonging to the suspect at several banks.
Sabah MACC director Sazali Salbi said the MACC was applying for a caveat on some properties which authorities suspect were purchased with illicit funds.
“We have opened another investigation paper under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) to determine whether the money was used to buy land, houses, shophouses or jewellery.
“We have identified six or seven houses bought under the name of the suspects and their family members in Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Johor, valued at RM2.7 million,” he told reporters after a briefing on development projects in Sabah here, today.
Sazali said the four who were remanded for seven days from yesterday were arrested in connection with maintenance works carried out on a project that turned out to be fake.
“Six witnesses will be summoned soon to have their statements taken. The investigation is still in its early stage. We need more time to scrutinise the documents seized as this case took place between 2012 and 2017.”