BUKIT MERTAJAM, May 21 – JJ Poor To Rich (JJPTR) founder Johnson Lee and his two aides have been rearrested this afternoon and will be handed over to the Perak police for further investigations. Penang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Ghani Ahmad confirmed that the trio have been rearrested this afternoon.
They have been escorted to Perak this evening (6:45pm) and the case been handled by the Perak police contingent. Magistrate Diannee Ningrad Nor Azahar today rejected an application by police to remand the trio for the Penang’s phase of the probe. This came after their lawyers, G. Jaya Prem said his clients had been detained for the past six days and have been cooperative with the police. He also said that the public interest is better served when the police respond to the cooperation by the trio.
The trio were initially arrested in a 4.30am operation in Petaling Jaya on May 16 (Tuesday) and remanded till May 18 (Thursday). The three men were investigated for a fraud case involving RM56,400 under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. On May 18, police requested for a three day remand extension but were only granted an additional day by the courts.
They were released on police bail in Petaling Jaya on Friday after their remand expired, but were rearrested shortly afterwards. Last Friday, a task force from Bukit Aman’s Anti-Money Laundering squad, CCID, Bank Negara, the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Inland Revenue Department, National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team and Cyber Security raided eight JJPTR premises in Penang.
Among the locations targeted by the task force were offices and residential units. During raids, 15 JJPTR employees and four investors aged between 23 and 40 had their statements recorded by police. JJPTR, a Penang-based company, came under scrutiny after investors said they had not been receiving their scheduled monthly payment. Lee had reportedly claimed that the company’s account had been hacked, leading to a loss of US$400 million (RM1.738bil). — PN
