SANDAKAN: Five men, including a former bank officer, have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Sabah on suspicion of receiving bribes amounting to approximately RM300,000 as an incentive to approve financial loans totaling RM11.3mil, Sinar Harian reports.
The Malay language daily reported that all the suspects, aged from their 20s to 40s, were arrested while giving statements at the MACC office in Sandakan between 2pm and 7pm Wednesday (May 21).
They are believed to have received bribes from the owner of a company as a reward for approving financial loan applications accompanied by fraudulent supporting documents.
Preliminary investigations revealed that all the suspects have been involved in this corrupt activity from 2022 to 2024, which involved approving loans totaling RM11.2mil to 39 applicants.
Sabah MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy, confirmed the arrest of the five suspects.
“The case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 for receiving bribes as an inducement to perform an act related to official duties.
“This arrest is the result of cooperation between Sabah MACC and the Internal Audit Unit of a local financial institution,” he told Sinar Harian.
Karunanithy further told the daily that a remand application for all the suspects will be made at the Sandakan Sessions Court on Thursday (May 22) to allow further investigation.
