KUALA LUMPUR: Police have opened a probe over a forged letter bearing Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof's name, which was reportedly sent to an individual in Sarawak.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said a report was lodged at the Presint 7 police station at Putrajaya near here on Friday.
"We received a report from the deputy prime minister's security officer.
"I was informed by a Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) officer that the case has been referred to the Sarawak CCID for further investigation," he said.
Razarudin said the case was classified as committing forgery and fraudulently or dishonestly using any document known or believed to be a forged document, under Section 468 and Section 471 of the Penal Code, respectively.
It was reported that a report was lodged regarding the circulation of the forged letter.
The deputy prime minister's press secretary. Datuk Misiah Taib, said Fadillah's security officer filed the report at the Presint 7 police station in Putrajaya yesterday.
It was lodged after a civil servant in Kuching informed Fadillah via the WhatsApp messaging application last Thursday that they had seen two official-looking letters with the Prime Minister's Department letterhead at a government agency office in Kuching on Tuesday.
The letters, which cited Fadillah's name but lacked his signature, allegedly offered various appointments and approvals for government quarters.
These letters were circulated by an individual impersonating one of Fadillah's officers.
Following this, Fadillah issued a statement last Thursday denying any involvement in issuing such letters to appoint individuals as officers in his office.
He urged anyone who receives such letters to avoid being easily deceived and to contact his office for verification at 03-8872 4462.