PUTRAJAYA: Action will be taken against the individual involved in a recent criminal breach of trust case involving an agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the irresponsible act by the individual attached to the South Kelantan Development Authority (Kesedar) had resulted in lost opportunities for plantation settlers.
“Funds that should have been used for the settlers were instead used by the individual for his own benefit,” the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters after launching the Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Programme Roadshow here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said he instructed the ministry’s secretary-general to act against the individual who was arrested by the police for allegedly embezzling RM24.8mil from Kesedar.
He said the suspect reportedly misused the identification of nine other employees to take the money out.
“Nine persons had their identifications misused by the individual to embezzle almost RM25mil from Kesedar over a certain period. This was a cunning act done by the individual,” he said.
On Saturday, Kelantan police arrested a 37-year-old male suspect upon receiving a report over the alleged misappropriation of RM24.8mil since 2016.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said police received a report on a CBT committed by an officer over the loss of government funds managed by the finance division of the agency’s Trust and Development Fund.
He said preliminary investigations showed that the CBT was committed by the suspect from 2016 to May 2023.
