MACC detains five more individuals, including company directors, as part of its probe into crony company appointments linked to a senior navy officer.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested five more individuals to assist in its investigation into companies linked to the appointment of a crony company involving a senior Royal Malaysian Navy officer.
Those detained comprise company directors, managers and business owners believed to have links to a crony company of a senior RMN officer that secured projects at the Lumut navy base.
Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court issued the remand orders. The court allowed one suspect to be remanded for three days until Jan 30, while four others were remanded until Jan 29.
MACC intelligence division senior director Datuk Saiful Ezral Arifin confirmed the arrests. He added that investigations are being conducted professionally in accordance with the law.
On Monday, the MACC was reported to have frozen 21 bank accounts, including 14 belonging to several individuals, with funds estimated at RM700,000. These are believed to be linked to the recommendation and appointment of the crony company.
The MACC Intelligence Division, through ‘Op Layar’, also sealed two hotels owned by the senior officer, estimated to be worth RM2 million. The commission, in collaboration with the Accountant General’s Department, is reviewing several companies to determine how they were awarded tenders.
Previously, the MACC arrested a company director and a senior RMN officer on suspicion of corruption. The two suspects are believed to have conspired between 2017 and 2020 to appoint a crony company for quotation work at the officer’s workplace.
They were remanded for seven days until Jan 29 following an application by the MACC at the Ipoh High Court last Friday.
