KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — Businessman Victor Chin Boon Long has clarified that a RM9.5 million payment made to the so-called Corporate Mafia gang was not a bribe, but a “service fee” paid under pressure to stop ongoing harassment.
In a statement today, Chin said the payment was not made to influence enforcement agencies, close any investigation, or settle allegations of wrongdoing against him. Instead, he described it as a measure to halt hostilities against people believed to be associated with him.
“I was told that the payment of RM9.5 million would be passed to the Corporate Mafia gang to make them happy, stop the hostilities against my people, and also give me a second chance to live,” Chin said.
The statement comes after Chin alleged on Tuesday that an executive director of HeiTech Padu Bhd (KL:HTPADU), whom he identified only as Mr R, acted as a middleman for the gang seeking to seize control of NexG Bhd (KL:NEXG) and its related shareholdings. NexG is the sole supplier of Malaysia’s passport booklets and identity cards.
Chin said he acted under significant duress from the group, which had pressured him to surrender his shares for free. The gang, he said, targeted his loved ones, business associates, companies, friends, and even individuals merely assumed to be connected to him.
According to Chin, over 500 accounts linked to people associated with him were frozen, leaving salaries unpaid and housing and car loans unserviced. He said the affected individuals and companies were left in financial and mental distress.
Chin has also been in the spotlight after international news agency Bloomberg reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was being used by a group of businessmen dubbed the “corporate mafia” to seize control of listed companies. The MACC has denied the allegations, and Chin has repeatedly described himself as a victim.
“I did not have a choice. I felt extremely guilty because these people were suffering simply because they knew me or knew of me. I made the payment to protect my people and friends and to end their financial misery immediately,” he said.
Chin emphasised that the RM9.5 million payment was simply a reaction to stop the extreme measures by the Corporate Mafia gang. “The greatest wealth in life is not money, but peace of mind. I would have done anything for the peace of mind of my people,” he said.
He also welcomed the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) or any fair and independent investigation to uncover the full truth, insisting that the inquiry should cover all parties involved, not just him.
Malay Mail – Malaysia
