PETALING JAYA: Several Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) employees stationed around Asia have been recalled by Washington for allegedly being involved in parties that included interactions with prostitutes.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the matter is being investigated by the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) inspector general.
“Upon learning of these allegations of misconduct, action was taken to reassign certain personnel to non-operational roles while the allegations are reviewed.
“All FBI employees are held to the highest standards of conduct, and allegations against any employee are taken very seriously," the FBI said as quoted by WSJ.
The FBI did not disclose the nature of the allegations against the agents, or the whereabouts of the alleged activities.
According to WSJ, these officers - also known as "legats", are stationed around Asia and tasked with working with foreign counterparts to combat international terrorism and gather information on crimes that the FBI is investigating.
People familiar with the matter told WSJ that the FBI does not rule out the possibility of foreign intelligence agencies attempting to compromise agents or other US embassy personnel,
These allegations could add on to the barrage of criticisms aimed toward the FBI after being ensnared in political battles in the United States, cites the new website Asian Correspondent.
Prior to this, the FBI was asked to reopen a background investigation into recently-appointed Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh who was accused of sexual assault, which he denied.
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