Three elephants whose transfer from Malaysia to Japan earlier this year sparked public anger over their alleged mistreatment are now at the centre of a corruption investigation over claims that Putrajaya did not receive the money linked to the move.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said on Monday it had opened a formal investigation into the movement of the elephants – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – from Zoo Taiping in the northern state of Perak to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka.
MACC said it was looking into claims that payments tied to the transfer were allegedly not channelled to the Malaysian government, amounting to 53 million ringgit (US$12.72 million) linked to several individuals.
The agency said its investigation would focus on the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and agents involved in the movement of the three Asian elephants.
MACC said it was examining whether there had been “corruption, misconduct or abuse of power” in the transfer, while stressing that the investigation was “still at an early stage and being carried out thoroughly”.
The move followed a complaint by wildlife rights group Hidup, whose lawyers alleged that payment linked to the elephants’ relocation had bypassed government coffers and gone instead to individuals, while acknowledging the claim came from a whistle-blower and had yet to be proven.
AloJapan.com