PUTRAJAYA: Former Army chief Jeneral Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his two wives have been remanded in connection with the graft probe into the cartel linked with procurement tenders for the Army.
The ex-top military officer will be remanded for seven days until Jan 14, while one of his wives was remanded for six days. The other woman was remanded for three days until tomorrow.
The trio arrived at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court in a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) van at about 10am yesterday, with all handcuffed and clad in the orange MACC lock-up attire.
The remand order was issued by magistrate Ezrene Zakariah following an application by the MACC to facilitate investigations, including scrutinising a large number of procurement documents and to track down others allegedly involved too.
The MACC investigating officer said the seven-day remand application against Muhammad Hafizuddeain, the main suspect, was because the investigations involved allegations of receiving bribes in an organised manner and also to probe a bigger corruption network.
The former Army chief was detained along with his two wives after they presented themselves at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Wednesday to have their statements recorded in an ongoing probe involving military contract tenders.
Another couple was also arrested earlier that day over the same probe and remanded for seven days.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had said the investigation into the matter was ongoing.
On Tuesday, the MACC secured a five-day remand order for 17 company directors suspected of operating a cartel to fix tenders for Army procurement.
The suspects, comprising nine men and eight women aged between 20 and 60, were detained on Monday while giving statements at the MACC headquarters.
This marked the latest escalation in a widening probe, which saw the MACC freezing six bank accounts on Dec 29 last year.
The accounts are believed to belong to a senior officer and family members connected to the case.
On Dec 23, MACC expanded the investigation into the Defence Ministry itself, reviewing projects awarded through open tenders and managed by the Army Responsibility Centre.
The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
Azam also said the MACC had foiled an attempt to move RM2.4mil in cash linked to its probe into suspected cartel activity involving Army procurement tenders.
The cash, he said, was intercepted while being transferred between two residences by a civilian connected with the case.
