KUALA LUMPUR: Graft busters have recorded a statement from a senior Armed Forces officer as part of their probe into alleged misuse of funds.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic) said the senior officer was summoned to give his statement at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 11am yesterday.
“He has been called in to finalise the investigation into allegations against him. For now, no arrest has been made, and the interview is ongoing,” he said when contacted.
He added that further developments in the case would be shared in due course.
On Saturday, media reports quoted Azam confirming that a senior Malaysian Armed Forces officer under investigation for fund misuse is expected to be charged in the near future.
It is understood that this case is separate from the ongoing MACC investigation into the former Army chief.
On Jan 8, former Army chief Jen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his two wives were 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 has been remanded for three days, with her release scheduled for tomorrow.
The trio arrived at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court in an MACC van at about 10am, handcuffed and dressed in the orange attire typically worn by those in MACC custody.
The MACC investigating officer said that the application for a seven-day remand for Muhammad Hafizuddeain, the primary suspect, was based on allegations of receiving bribes in an organised manner, as well as the need to investigate a larger corruption network.
The former Army chief was detained along with his two wives after they presented themselves at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Jan 7 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.
On Jan 6, 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 Jan 5 while giving statements at the MACC headquarters.
This marked the latest escalation in a widening probe, which saw the MACC freeze 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.
