GEORGE TOWN: Five individuals, including a Datuk who chairs a federal government-linked agency, have been remanded for four days to assist investigations into the alleged sale of government land in Penang at below-market prices.
Magistrate Noor Idayu Salim allowed the remand order from Friday (Aug 21) until Monday (Aug 24) following an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at a Magistrate's Court here.
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The investigation is being conducted under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.
The suspects arrived at the court compound at about 9am, escorted by MACC officers.
They were dressed in orange MACC lock-up attire, handcuffed and wearing face masks.
The remand proceedings ended at 11.26am.
The five comprise an agency chairman, two company directors, a technical manager and a female clerk.
MACC had previously reported that the suspects were detained over alleged abuse of power in the disposal of land belonging to a government agency under a ministry in Penang.
The agency chairman, a man in his 50s, is alleged to have abused his position when he was deputy chairman and a board member to approve the sale of eight plots of land in South Seberang Perai in 2015.
He has a "Datuk" title and the state leader of a political party. He also contested in the previous general election.
The land was allegedly sold to a company suspected of being owned by an associate of the suspect.
He is also alleged to have been involved in approving the sale at below-market prices, resulting in estimated losses of about RM1.96mil.
One of the lawyers representing the individuals, Dr Shamsher Singh Thind, told reporters outside the courtroom that the MACC had initially applied for a seven-day remand.
He said the case dated back to 2015, but he understood that the authorities were now investigating a fresh complaint lodged on Aug 17, which allegedly contained new developments that prompted the investigation to be reopened.
"The matter is believed to be related to an earlier dispute in 2015 involving the sale of land to a company whose directors had subsequently changed.
"The matter had actually been resolved previously, with the 10% Bumiputera discount being returned to the government agency concerned," he said.
