KUALA LUMPUR: Director and scriptwriter Mohd Asri Alias has lodged police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reports relating to alleged misappropriation of the Digital Content Fund (DKD) by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas).
The 46-year-old artiste said that the reports were lodged following suspicions arising from a statement by Finas claiming that the distribution of the funds had been carried out in a transparent manner without any favouritism or cronyism.
He apparently came across the misappropriation after investigating the DKD under the Feature Film Fund category which involved the distribution of RM40.5 million to 60 production companies.
"I suspected that something was off and that there was a conflict of interest involving Finas CEO Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri and Alfanazra Productions Sdn Bhd.
"After reviewing printed documents from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), I found that two of the directors of the company, Ahmad Sabri Ahmad Nadzri and Ahmad Khalid Ahmad Nadzri, were Ahmad Idham's brothers," he said in a Harian Metro report yesterday.
Asri revealed that he had lodged a police report at the Pandan Indah Police Station on July 29, as well as a report to the MACC on Aug 20.
He also refuted a statement by Finas chairman Zakaria Abdul Hamid who said applicants with familial relations to the body's members would not be eligible for the DKD to ensure the selection process was transparent and fair following the instalment of a new Finas team.
"The Finas CEO was appointed for the first time on March 11, 2019 and had served until May 10 of last year. But he requested to shorten his term of service to March 10 which was less than three months before being re-appointed for the second time. He resumed the post on June 5 last year and will carry on til June 6, 2022.
"After noticing a discrepancy in the DKD 2021 announcement on June 29, I looked at a fund announcement dated July 28 from last year on the first phase of Pelan Langkah Segera Ekonomi Industri Kreatif (Pelaksana)," he said.
Asri explained that news reports and a statement from Finas on the first phase of Pelaksana on Nov 24 last year saw funds worth RM13.3 million being distributed to 99 production companies.
"Referring to the list announced, I found that two companies were jointly owned by two members of the body. I have already examined this and got printed documents from SSM," he said.
Asri added that the chairman and two owners of the companies had been appointed as Finas members on May 23 last year.
He further explained that the details revealed by him were true and based in reference to Section 3, Section 23 and Section 50 (1) under the MACC Act 2009 (Act 694), as well as Section 12 under the Finas Act 1981 (Act 244).