KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA: Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has widened its investigations to Sabah over a money-laundering case involving millions of ringgit.

Three of the officers arrived here on Wednesday seeking information on a Sandakan businessman, a lawyer and a top state politician as well.

They left yesterday after securing details and documents on the trio to help them in a probe into a Hong Kong bank account believed to be holding more than RM100 million (S$42 million). The account has been frozen.

It is understood that the ICAC has been probing allegations of money laundering in Sabah for more than three years.

They had briefly detained the businessman in Hong Kong in mid-August in connection with the money-laundering allegations. He was released on bail pending the completion of the probe.

At a press conference yesterday, Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull confirmed that the ICAC had sought its assistance.

"We cannot reveal details as it is their investigations," said Shukri, who declined to state the specific nature of the ICAC probe.

He said the ACA was not conducting an investigation into the matter but was helping the ICAC under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.

Shukri was in Sabah to witness the official handing-over of duties from Sabah ACA director Deputy Comm Latifah Md Yatim to the new director, Deputy Comm Jalil Jaaffar. Latifah has been promoted as the new Penang ACA director.