MACC obtains four-day remand for a Datuk Seri and her adviser

The MACC has obtained a four-day remand order for two company officials to facilitate investigation into an attempt to bribe a government official.

The duo, the firm’s 49-year old CEO with a ‘Datuk Seri’ title and her 55-year-old adviser with the title ‘Datuk’, are being probed for the alleged attempt to bribe the government official with hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

The remand order was issued this morning by Putrajaya magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim.

Yesterday, an MACC source revealed that the duo had purportedly conspired to pay a sum of money to an enforcement officer of a ministry in return for the officer to turn a blind eye to their company's collection of deposits for an illegal investment in July 2017.

The Datuk Seri was arrested at MACC around 5.30pm yesterday, while MACC picked up her adviser at Dutamas Raya earlier in the day, at 11.30am.

A scam allegation involving the Datuk Seri and her company was highlighted by the media in 2017, after an MP led a group of Chinese nationals to lodge a report at the Dang Wangi police station.

They lodged a report after claiming to have lost between RM62,000 and RM437,000 by investing in the scheme operated by the company in 2016.

The MP had also insinuated that a former top cop, who was then the president of the company, was involved in running the scheme, which led to the former top cop and the Datuk Seri to issue a letter of demand against the MP to withdraw and apologise for his allegation.

In August 2017, the former top cop tendered his resignation from his position in the company.

Asked if the MACC would record a statement from the former top cop, MACC investigations director Simi Abd Ghani said: "It's too early to confirm as we are still in the preliminary investigation."

However, Simi said, the case that MACC is investigating is not related to the reports by the group of Chinese nationals in 2017, but on the attempt to bribe the enforcement officer, which took place in July 2017.

Malaysiakini is withholding the names of the two suspects until they are charged in court. - Mkini