Ex-senior exec nabbed for graft

JOHOR BARU: A former senior manager of an international trading company has been arrested for abusing his authority to solicit RM500,000 in bribes from contractors.

The 40-year-old man was believed to have asked for inducements from the contractors appointed by the company via several transactions between February and June in 2015.

He was arrested at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here yesterday and is expected to be charged today.

It was learnt that the suspect was charged in court last year for issuing unauthorised purchase orders amounting to over RM101mil.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the arrest.

This came days after a 56-year-old assistant land officer was detained and charged for allegedly accepting bribes totalling about RM250,000 over land dealings in Johor.

The suspect was believed to have accepted RM150,000 in bribes from a company owner concerning the application of permits for land acquisition.

It was learnt that the officer with the Johor Baru Land Office had amassed several agricultural plots totalling 30ha and housing plots along with a luxury home here.

In another case, three car repossessors who demanded a RM5,000 bribe not to tow away a car in Taman University would be charged today. They are all in their 30s.

Two of them were detained yesterday while another one was in prison serving a sentence for a police case.

Prison authorities would be producing the suspect in court today.

It was learnt that the men had cornered the victim in Taman University and demanded RM5,000 before agreeing to a RM2,000 settlement in September last year.

The victim did not pay his car instalments for at least four months.