PETALING JAYA • Malaysian anti- graft officials yesterday picked up a former chief executive officer at a government agency, in another corruption swoop.
The arrest of the 62-year-old at his home in the Selangor capital of Shah Alam followed the detention of the highest-ranking officer at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry last week in a separate corruption probe.
In the latest case, the former top official, who carries the title of Datuk, was picked up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly soliciting a RM36,000 (S$11,600) bribe.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki confirmed the arrest and added that the suspect would be charged in a Shah Alam court today.
The New Straits Times identified the agency as Tekun Nasional, a body tasked with helping Malay entrepreneurs.
In the case of the 59-year-old secretary-general of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, the MACC has found a further RM550,000 in his home, including several thousand dollars in Singapore currency.
The latest seizure added to the RM5 million found in the home of Datuk Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman and in safety deposit boxes involving cash, gold bars, 150 luxury handbags and branded watches in an ongoing corruption probe.
Mr Arif lives in a double-storey corner terrace house with eight bedrooms, with the latest haul found in the maid's room.
A source told The Star: "A team from the MACC visited the house again (on Friday) to conduct further checks and stumbled upon the hidden cash."
The case centres on allegations of corruption, abuse of power and money laundering dating back to 2010.
The probe comes on the back of another scandal last October when the MACC raided the homes of Sabah Water Department officials and found RM57 million in cash, 19kg of gold jewellery, 97 designer handbags, and 127 land titles for plots valued at RM30 million. A further RM60 million in bank accounts was frozen. Three people were charged last week with misappropriating funds amounting to RM61.5 million and unlawfully possessing luxury products.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
