IGP says investigating seller of Guan Eng’s house
(Malay Mail Online) – Police have opened an investigation on the statutory declaration of Phang Li Koon who sold a house to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today.
Khalid said police will summon Phang for her statement regarding the declaration she made in response to allegations of corruption in the sale of the house in George Town to the DAP secretary-general.
“We have opened the investigation paper on Phang Li Koon, regarding her declaration. We will call in the witnesses involved, including Phang and the chief minister,” he told reporters.
On when the police will call the witnesses, Khalid simply replied, “Anytime”.
On Tuesday, Phang released a statutory declaration addressing claims that the house was sold for below market value as well as allegations that the deal was linked to the sale of Penang state land in Taman Manggis to a private firm.
In it, she stated that the price of RM2.8 million for the 10,000-sq ft property was agreed upon in 2012 and that she further executed an agreement with Lim on June 23, 2014 granting him a five-year option to purchase the property at that price in return for RM100,000 in consideration.
She denied she was coerced into selling the house for the amount, and said she was glad to be rid of the “unnecessary stress” caused by those attacking Lim over the Taman Manggis land sale issue.
Phang also said she was not directly linked to the firm that won the tender for the Taman Manggis land, and was neither a shareholder nor director in the company.
Last week, Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya accused Lim of purchasing the house at below market value and linked it to the sale of the Taman Manggis land back in 2012.
This led to several reports being lodged with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) over the past week by various parties, including local Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Penang Umno Youth and MIC.
Lim has repeatedly denied the allegations.
