'Millionaire' head and three others held over bribery case

'Millionaire' head and three others held over bribery case
By LOURDES CHARLES
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested a director of a government department who is said to be a millionaire, an officer and two rangers for allegedly accepting a bribe of more than RM100,000.
A special team from the Putrajaya MACC headquarters was believed to have seized more than RM300,000 from the director’s house in Kulim, Kedah, yesterday.
Remanded: The director being led out of the court building in handcuffs Tuesday.
The officers are investigating where the money came from.
The two forest rangers and the officer were arrested in Sungai Petani on Monday.
It is believed that the four suspects had received the RM100,000 bribe in exchange for a logging compartment contract.
Upon questioning, the suspects led the MACC officers to the director’s house. However, he was not at home.
Later, four officers waited for the director at his office in Alor Setar and arrested him when he tried to enter at about 2am.
MACC director of investigations Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdul confirmed the arrests but declined to elaborate as investigations were still underway.
The MACC is also investigating the possible involvement of several other forestry officers in other illegal logging activities worth millions of ringgit in the state.
The handcuffed director was produced before the Alor Setar magistrate’s court yesterday where he was ordered to be remanded to facilitate investigations as provided for under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
The unkempt director was wearing a white shirt and he appeared stunned and quiet while being led away by the MACC officers.
In Putrajaya, the MACC said in a statement that the four suspects would be remanded for four days from yesterday to assist in investigations.

Wednesday October 21, 2009