SHAH ALAM – A former chief operating officer (COO) of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) who was due to face criminal charges linked to the organisation’s governance did not appear at the Sessions Court here on Thursday after being hospitalised for heart problems.
Lawyer Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin, who represented the Datuk-ranked former TH officer, confirmed the matter during proceedings before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.
He said his client was admitted to a hospital here on Aug 31.
The case is linked to issues surrounding TH’s governance following a financial crisis that began with a mismatch between its assets and liabilities, prompting the implementation of a large-scale recovery plan.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) was subsequently established to investigate issues arising from the crisis, including TH’s hotel lease investments in Makkah and Madinah.
On Aug 14, seven individuals were detained to assist in investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Those detained included a former minister, a former chief executive officer of a shipping company, a construction company director, a former company director and four former members of TH’s senior management.