5 more held in MACC probe into senior navy officer

The suspects are company directors, owners and managers of the alleged crony firms, says an MACC source.

A senior navy officer is under investigation on suspicion of recommending and appointing a crony company to obtain contracts at his workplace.

PETALING JAYA:

 Five more people have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in its probe into alleged corruption involving a senior navy officer and the appointment of crony companies.

Utusan Malaysia quoted an MACC source as saying the five comprised company directors, owners and managers of the firms.

“The alleged corruption is said to be linked to the awarding of projects at the naval base in Lumut, Perak,” the source said.

The source also said magistrate Ezrene Zakariah had allowed one individual to be remanded for three days until Jan 30.

The other four individuals were remanded for three days from yesterday to assist in the investigation.

MACC intelligence division senior director Saiful Ezral Arifin confirmed the developments, according to the daily.

On Monday, MACC was reported to have frozen seven company accounts and 14 personal bank accounts involving about RM700,000 in its probe.

A separate source from MACC had said that two hotels owned by the senior navy officer, valued at about RM2 million, were also seized.

On Saturday, it was reported that a senior navy officer and a company director had been remanded until Jan 29.

An MACC source said the senior officer was suspected of recommending and appointing a crony company to obtain contracts at his workplace, while the company director was suspected of being an accomplice.

Both suspects were believed to have colluded in these activities from 2017 to 2020.

Suspicious deposits totalling RM2 million reportedly entered the officer’s personal accounts and two accounts owned by the hotel companies. - FMT