PUTRAJAYA, March 13 — Four individuals, including a civil servant, suspected of acting as middlemen for the syndicate to bribe public servants to smuggle tobacco, cigarettes, and alcohol into the country, were remanded today to assist in the investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The suspects were among eight individuals detained on Monday (March 11) during a special operation by MACC’s anti-money laundering division, the Inland Revenue Board, and Bank Negara Malaysia.
Four suspects were remanded yesterday for the same case.
According to an MACC source, the suspects, aged between 30 and 50, were detained at about 4pm yesterday when they were called to provide their statements.
Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin allowed the suspects to be remanded for three days until Friday (March 15) at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court.
“The suspects allegedly acted as the syndicate’s middlemen to pay bribes to civil servants at an enforcement agency to facilitate the smuggling activities,” the source said, adding the syndicate would bank in the bribe money to the suspects’ accounts, which they would transfer to the accounts of the civil servants involved.
Meanwhile, MACC’s Anti Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Division director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin confirmed the remand order against the four suspects, adding the case is being investigated under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009.
— Bernama
