IPOH: Four individuals, including two private higher education lecturers in northern Malaysia, have been remanded for four days until Saturday (April 11).
The suspects are allegedly involved in soliciting and receiving about RM5mil in bribes.
The Magistrate Court issued the remand order following a request from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The three men and one woman arrived at court at 10.05am in MACC detention attire and were escorted out at 11.45am.
An MACC source said the lecturers, an oil company officer and an engineering company director were arrested at the Perak MACC office between 2pm and 5pm on Tuesday (April 7).
They are believed to have solicited the bribes as an inducement for helping several companies to gain research projects.
The suspects are also allegedly involved in embezzling research funds at the university.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the activities were conducted between 2019 and 2025.
The officer and the company director are believed to have acted as proxies for both lecturers to receive illicit funds.
All suspects are believed to have conspired in the scheme.
The two lecturers allegedly received the bribes in cash and through transfers to their personal bank accounts.
Authorities have frozen 70 bank accounts with a total balance of about RM8.5mil and seized seven vehicles for further investigation.
MACC Intelligence Division senior director Datuk Saiful Ezral Arifin confirmed the arrests.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
