MACC busts syndicate involving finance ministry

The syndicate had begun operations n 2017, with thousands of cash collected from companies in the Klang Valley.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has busted a syndicate involved in approving applications to register new accounts with the finance ministry and applications for Bumiputera- status companies in the Klang Valley.

A source told FMT that eight people between the ages of 30 to 47 were detained by the anti-graft agency in operations around Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur this evening.

Five of them are staff members of the finance ministry’s company registration unit.

All eight will be brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Putrajaya tomorrow to be remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The syndicate members had charged between RM500 and RM3,500 to speed up the registration of new ministry accounts and for companies to acquire Bumiputera status.

“Their applications would then be approved in 24 hours without following the set procedures,” the source told FMT.

The MACC had conducted surveillance for six months before exposing the syndicate. The syndicate’s operation was believed to have started in 2017, with thousands in cash collected from companies in the Klang Valley.

When contacted, MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the arrests.

“Investigations are being carried out under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009,” he told FMT. - FMT