SHAH ALAM (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A police inspector with RM1 million (S$330,000) in his bank accounts is among 29 Malaysian police personnel being probed by central police headquarters for possible association to alleged criminal Addy Kanna.
A policeman with the rank of deputy commissioner is also under investigation , said the director at police HQ's Integrity and Standard Compliance Department, Datuk Zamri Yahya.
Addy, whose real name is Zaidi Kanapiah, has been detained since Oct 3 for suspected involvement in big-scale Macau phone scams targeting victims in China, illegal online gambling and working with a foreign scam syndicate.
Earlier this month, Addy and his associate Alvin Goh Leong Yeong, along with two police officers, were sentenced to two years in detention under the Prevention of Crime Act.
Commissioner Zamri said that the inspector, when queried about the RM1 million cash, claimed he received it from his father.
"We will investigate the source of the money in more detail, " Mr Zamri told reporters after attending an event on Monday (Dec 14).
Initial investigations involved four policemen, but as the probe went on, more names have been unearthed.
"Our investigation is on the aspect of conduct and discipline. We are looking into their lifestyle, property ownership, overseas travel without permission and movements.
"We hope to conclude our investigations by next month, " Mr Zamri said.
Malaysia has recently been rocked by major corruption scandals involving government officers.
Last month, Malaysian graft busters seized a fleet of luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Ford Mustang and a Range Rover, in their probe into low-ranking immigration officers who were earning just between RM1,360 to RM4,052 a month.
The cars added to an overall haul that included more than RM800,000 in cash, 22 other luxury cars and four high-powered motorcycles, as well as other assets such as houses, plots of land, jewellery and designer handbags.
The seizures were part of an operation that has led to the arrest of 50 people, including more than 30 immigration officers. They were involved in a syndicate to allow foreign nationals to fly freely in and out of Malaysia, bypassing immigration controls.
