Johari Says IRB Probe on Mahathir’s Family Not Political

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Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani challenged those who accused the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) probe on the businesses of Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s sons as politically motivated to prove their allegations.

Johari said IRB investigates everyone, and as long as it has complete information, it will conduct the investigation.

“The IRB is an independent agency and it’s free of the influence of political parties.

“Nobody can dictate to the IRB who to investigate. If someone hasn’t done anything wrong, then he has nothing to worry about,” Johari told reporters yesterday.

“It’s not something the IRB started doing only today. It has investigated many big companies, industries and warehouses every year. It has its own programmes and processes.

“Even companies owned by the government and big companies at the bourse have been investigated.

“I don’t remember their names and I cannot mention them or their share prices will go down. Tax is a sensitive matter.

“So this is not related to politics. The IRB has its own board of directors. I don’t think they are also involved in politics. I and other politicians don’t sit on the board,” he said.

“If I’m myself under investigation and I haven’t done anything wrong, it shouldn’t be a concern to me. Nobody can tell the IRB what to do unless you can prove that it wants to get involved in politics,” he added.

Following the raids on three of his sons’ companies, Mahathir said the prime minister, defence minister, and their families, should also be subject to investigations.

Mahathir’s lawyer Haniff Khatri questioned the timing of the raids which took place on the same day as the commencement of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Bank Negara Malaysia’s forex losses in the 1990s when Mahathir was prime minister.


Related reports:

Aug 10, IRB Raids Companies of Mahathir’s Three Sons

Aug 5, BNM Forex Losses Royal Inquiry Begins Tuesday