KUALA LUMPUR: Seventeen company directors have been remanded for alleged involvement in a cartel linked to procurement tenders for the Army.
The directors were remanded until Saturday (Jan 10) by Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah following an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (Jan 6).
The MACC said the suspects, comprising nine men and eight women aged between their 20s and 60s, were detained between 8.30pm and 11.30pm on Monday (Jan 5) when they turned up to give statements at the MACC office in Putrajaya.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspects are believed to have paid bribes to a senior Malaysian Army officer in exchange for securing supply and maintenance projects with the force.
Meanwhile, MACC Senior Director of Investigation Zainul Darus, when contacted, confirmed the arrests and said the case is being investigated under Section 16(b) of the MACC Act 2009.
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It was previously reported that the MACC had identified several other individuals as people of interest in the ongoing corruption probe involving military contract tenders.
The MACC said that the main person, who was previously identified as a high-ranking military official, is still under investigation and is still being treated at the hospital.
“The MACC respects that individual’s health condition and rights in line with legal principles and will record the statement as soon as the person is certified fit by medical personnel.
"There is no fixed time frame set for each phase of the investigation. The duration of the investigation depends on the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses, as well as the need for document and financial analysis.
“Apart from the main suspect, the MACC has identified several other individuals believed to be connected to the case, and further action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation and the evidence obtained,” it said.
It added that asset tracing and freezing are still underway and investigations are still ongoing.
Previously, a team of MACC officers visited the Defence Ministry to trace projects implemented through open tender procurement as well as procurements under the Army’s Responsibility Centre.
Initial investigations revealed that between 2023 and 2025, there were 158 military procurement projects valued at more than RM500,000 each, while another 4,521 projects were worth below RM500,000.
Sources said that checks on these projects found that several companies repeatedly secured high-value contracts, leading to suspicions.
The MACC also received a complaint and recorded a statement from activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, at its headquarters.
