Mandiri duo in the dark over alleged offence in money laundering probe

Activists Amir Hadi and Dobby Chew, who are part of the rights group Mandiri, were questioned at the Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department in Kuala Lumpur. The authorities have not provided a clear explanation of the specific offense they are being investigated for. During their visit, police officers from the anti-money laundering unit only mentioned "suspicious funds" as the basis for the probe.

However, suspicious funds alone do not count as a criminal offense unless they are linked to illicit activities such as terrorism financing or illegal gambling. Both Amir, the executive director, and Chew, the finance director, were informed that merely having suspicious funds does not justify a raid on an individual or organization.

They expressed hope that the investigating officer would specify the predicate offense to clarify the investigation's nature. Earlier on September 18, more than 20 police officers conducted a raid on a shared office in Petaling Jaya between Mandiri and an NGO led by Chew. The police collected various documents, including financial records, audit reports, tax documents, staff payrolls, a computer, and a USB drive filled with financial information.

This investigation comes after the duo faced enforcement actions such as the freezing of personal and organizational bank accounts under anti-money laundering laws, as well as travel bans preventing Amir and Chew from traveling abroad.