Order comes after former senior figures held over Tabung Haji RCI probe
KUALA LUMPUR: A former minister under remand now, will be detained further until tomorrow by the anti-graft agency in connection with an investigation into the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) findings on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman confirmed the matter when contacted.
He said the MACC had secured a two-day extension to the remand order of the former minister.
The extended remand order was issued by Magistrate Muhammad Bukhori Md Ruslan Zakariah at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The man, who is in his 60s, was previously remanded for five days until yesterday.
Abd Halim said the case was being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
The man was detained on Sept 1 after turning up at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to have his statement recorded.
The latest development came 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, 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.
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.
The RCI’s findings and recommendations have since been referred to the relevant authorities for further action.
Separately, the MACC also detained two men including a Datuk, who is a former general manager of a statutory body – over alleged corruption, abuse of power and irregularities involving the appointment of a developer for a project in Kuala Lumpur.
This is in connection with the ongoing investigation into Felda mismanagement.
The two suspects who are in their 50s and 60s, were detained yesterday after being called in to give their statements at the MACC headquarters.
Sources said the two suspects were believed to be involved in the sale of land belonging to a statutory body to a company with interests linked to the appointed developer, allegedly without the knowledge of the statutory body’s board of directors and its subsidiary.
The two men are expected to be brought to the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court today for MACC to seek a remand order.
Abd Halim confirmed that the arrests were made and that the case was being investigated under Section 16 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
He had previously disclosed that MACC had opened six investigation papers on the assets bought above its market value.
The six identified assets purchased included the Grand Plaza Service Apartments in London and the construction of the Felda Wellness Corporation Sdn Bhd.
