Ex-native affairs officer among 4 held over RM900,000 bribe in Sabah land sale

 Investigations found that the land involved in the transaction belonged to another person and had never been offered for sale.

All four male suspects were arrested yesterday when they appeared to give statements at the Keningau MACC office.

KENINGAU:

Four people, including a former native affairs officer and a civil servant, have been remanded for seven days to assist in investigations into a land sale syndicate involving about RM900,000 in bribes.

The remand order, which runs until Aug 27, was issued by magistrate Flavian Edward Henry at the magistrates’ court here today following an application by the Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

A source said the former native affairs officer and civil servant were believed to have received bribes from two land brokers to facilitate the sale transaction last year.

“However, preliminary investigations found that the land involved in the transaction belonged to another person and had never been offered for sale,” the source said.

All four male suspects, aged in their 30s and 60s, were arrested between 4pm and 8pm yesterday when they appeared to give statements at the Keningau MACC office.

Sabah MACC director Fuad Bee Basrah, when contacted, confirmed the arrests.

He said the case is being investigated under Sections 17 and 18 of the MACC Act 2009. - FMT