KUALA LUMPUR: "Yes! I admit to being a 'scammer', but a good 'scammer', if that's an answer that can satisfy the netizens and the people involved," said Datuk Red or Datuk Seri Adenan Abu.
He said this when asked to comment on allegations from someone claiming to be a victim cheated by him in dealings related to the sale and purchase of land before this.
"Because people have been criticising me anyway, I deny it but people still call me that, an end-of-the-world scammer and all, so I just admit it," he said in a Harian Metro report today.
The 46-year-old husband of singer Adira Suhaimi added that he was now trying to pay off his debts to be free from the various 'scammer' allegations.
"If confessing makes it an offense, what am I going to do? But which 'scammer' admits to fraud? That's why I say, 'I'm a good 'scammer'.
"Because even if I don't say it, the people are saying it, so when people say it, I just say yes. Because as long as I don't admit it, that's what people are going to keep saying.
"I don't want to dispel all of this because there are many other things for me to think about and on how I can rise again," he said.
Datuk Red added that he had informed the parties involved to give him time to pay off the debt.
"There were also some people I owed who sent me 'Direct messages' encouraging me to pick myself up and get back on the saddle.
"You know, I've only been working for six days, so how can I settle a debt of almost RM7 million in such a short period? How about praying for the best for me," he said.
Earlier, Datuk Red had requested for the parties who claimed to have been victims of his alleged fraud in previous land sales to be patient and calm because he is still trying to find the money.
According to him, he needs time to settle all the debts and aims to have 'good news' for the victims after the Aidilfitri celebrations soon.