KUALA LUMPUR, 21 June: Some 150 people are believed to have become victims of fraud in the purchase of land in Gombak and Hulu Langat districts from a real estate company, with losses incurred amounting to some RM9 million.
One of the victims, former Bank Negara employee, Othman Sabri, 72, claimed that he suffered losses of about RM72,000 when the real estate company responsible for managing the land acquisition closed shop.
“I withdrew my savings from the Employees Provident Fund to buy the land because the price is cheap and the company’s employees were very convincing when explaining how the purchase was done.
“After one year of waiting, I contacted the office but my calls went unanswered. I decided to go to the office but found it closed,” he told a press conference with the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), here today.
PPIM Special Action Unit Director Yusuf Azmi said an investigation found that the real estate company was operated by two “Datuk” businessmen, with one of them being the husband of a local celebrity.
Yusuf said the two “businessmen” were active since 2011 as they went around selling someone else’s land at lower than the market price.
“They operated another company which closed shop but opened a new company to continue their illegal activities.
“I hope the Federal Territory, the Selangor Land and Mines Office, the Selangor State Executive Council and the Selangor State Development Corporation can take immediate action to stop this,” he added.
— THE SUN