PUTRAJAYA: A former minister has been remanded for five days in connection with investigations into issues raised in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).
The remand order, which expires on Sept 6, was granted by Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah following an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday.
The man, in his 60s, was detained at about 4.30pm on Tuesday after turning up at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to have his statement recorded.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman confirmed the detention and said the case was being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The latest development comes after several former senior figures linked to TH were detained as part of the same investigation.
A politician who is also a former TH chairman and a former Treasury secretary-general at the Finance Ministry were previously remanded for seven days in connection with the probe.
The two men, both in their 60s and holding the titles Datuk Seri and Tan Sri respectively, were detained on Aug 26 to assist in investigations following disclosures and findings in the RCI report.
A former TH chief executive officer was also previously detained and remanded.
Prior to that, the anti-graft agency had detained several individuals to assist in investigations linked to the RCI, including a former chief executive officer of a shipping company, a construction company director, a former company director and four former senior TH management personnel.
The RCI into TH was established to examine the management and operations of the pilgrimage fund, including allegations concerning its financial position, governance and investment decisions.
The report, which was completed four years ago and subsequently made public on July 29, contained 25 key recommendations aimed at improving transparency, professionalism and governance within the institution.
Among the key recommendations was a proposal to bar active politicians from serving on TH’s board of directors to prevent political interference.
The RCI’s findings and recommendations have since been referred to the relevant authorities for further action.
