KUALA LUMPUR: Another senior Armed Forces officer has been detained by graft busters, just two days after former Army chief Jen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan was freed from remand.
The senior military officer was detained at about 11am yesterday, also over the ongoing investigations involving the military, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
“He was detained to assist with the investigation. We will provide further details at a press conference tomorrow,” he said yesterday.
Azam said Muhammad Hafizuddeain was freed from remand at about 6.30pm on Monday.
It was previously reported that MACC recorded the statements of a senior military officer on Jan 11 and 12. He was called in to finalise investigation into allegations against him.
Muhammad Hafizuddeain was detained along with his wives on Jan 7 when they came to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to have their statements recorded in the probe into a cartel linked to army procurement tenders.
They were remanded on Jan 8.
Graft busters seized luxury assets, including 23 Rolex watches worth more than RM2.2mil following a raid on Jan 10.
Sources said the items were found in two suitcases.
“Initial inspections found 23 Rolex watches, with an estimated market value of about RM2mil,” the source said.
Several pieces of jewellery belonging to an accomplice, and estimated to be worth around RM225,000, were also seized.
On Monday, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that Muhammad Hafizuddeain had submitted a letter seeking early retirement effective Jan 1.
He submitted the letter through his lawyers.
Earlier, the Armed Forces Council had postponed its decision to appoint Muhammad Hafizuddeain as the Armed Forces chief.
He was ordered to go on leave pending the investigations.
Mohamed Khaled had said that with Muhammad Hafizuddeain’s decision to retire early, the post of Armed Forces chief was vacant.
“Once the Armed Forces Council chooses a candidate, the name will be brought to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, for consent,” he said.
Meanwhile, in George Town, six more policemen, including a retired officer, have been remanded on suspicion of soliciting and accepting about RM117,000 in bribes to turn a blind eye to two company owners operating illegal entertainment outlets, massage parlours and gambling operations.
At the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday, magistrate Syahirah Abdul Salim granted the MACC application for a five-day remand until Jan 18.
A source said that all the male suspects, aged between 40 and 60, were arrested on Tuesday while giving statements at the Penang MACC office, Bernama reported.
“They are believed to have been receiving monthly bribes of between RM500 and RM2,000 from 2016 to 2021. One is suspected of receiving funds via online transfer to a third-party account.
“The other five allegedly received payments directly into their personal accounts from these company owners,” the source said.
Penang MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy confirmed the arrests when contacted, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
On Tuesday, a police officer was remanded on suspicion of accepting RM27,000 in bribes related to the same case.
The 50-year-old suspect has been remanded for four days until Jan 16.
