PUTRAJAYA: Several attempts have been made to serve a notice to Datuk Justin Lim Hwa Tat, who is a person of interest in an investigation, including going to his house and office, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Refuting claims that it did not issue any notice to Lim, the chief executive officer of Sersol Bhd, MACC provided a rundown of its attempts.
It said on June 26, its officers had gone to two of Lim’s houses in Kuala Lumpur to serve the notice but found that one of the premises had been sold while he no longer lived in the other.
“On the same day, we also went to his offices in the capital and in Johor, but he was not in either location,” the MACC said in a statement yesterday.
The anti-graft body said checks with the Immigration Department found that Lim had left the country in February and that there was no record of him returning to Malaysia.
Following this, a media statement was issued earlier this month to locate Lim’s whereabouts along with the number and email address of the MACC investigating officer.
“The statement is an official and valid notice (issued by the MACC).”
The MACC also said that it was prepared for any legal action by Lim.
“However, he must first come forward and cooperate in the investigation,” it said.
On July 12, MACC said Lim was wanted to assist in an investigation into a false claims case.
However, Lim claimed he did not receive a notice from the MACC for him to assist in the matter nor were there any attempts to serve a notice at his place of work or residence, and that he had not been approached by any MACC officers seeking his assistance.
He said the MACC’s statement, which portrayed him as a wanted person for criminal investigations, was “wholly inaccurate” and lacked any foundation.
“It could give the false impression that I am evading or avoiding cooperating with the authorities, which is certainly not the case,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
“To set the record straight, I want to clarify that I have been away on business since early February.
“Despite my absence, I have every intention of fully cooperating where my assistance is required,” Lim added.
He urged the MACC to refrain from making any further publication that states or implies otherwise without factual basis.
“It is imperative that my reputation and integrity are safeguarded and any misleading statements can have severe consequences.
“In this regard, I have formally appointed Messrs Gobind Singh Deo & Co to represent me as my legal representative during the course of the investigation,” he said.
