Australian authorities have charged a man, Teen Boon Lye, with bribing a Malaysian official to secure the sale of the building, called Dudley House, in Melbourne.

Johor Bahru MP Akmal Nasir while welcoming the Australian authorities’ actions against Teen asked if any action would be taken against the Malaysian official who received the bribe.

“The relevant minister and the Mara chairman should focus their efforts in bringing those involved to justice and retrieve the millions of ringgit belonging to Mara,” he said today.

Australian media reported that Teen was charged on July 9, some five years after it was revealed that the price of the property had been inflated by A$4.75 million (about RM20 million) to provide kickbacks to a group of Malaysian officials.

The original price for the property was A$17.85 million but it was later sold for A$22.6 million, with the A$4.75 million paid or promised to two people with the intention of influencing a Malaysian public official to secure the sale of the property.

Akmal said the scandal had been raised by former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli in 2015, involving the purchase of several properties at prices higher than normal.

Aside from Dudley House, he said other properties also bought under similarly questionable terms were 746 Swanston Street, 333 Exhibition Street and 51st Queen Street.