MACC ARRESTS THREE MORE PENANG ZAKAT OFFICERS
Court extends remand order against agency’s chief executive officer
GRAFT busters investigating the Penang Zakat case have arrested three more of the agency’s officers. The suspects, aged between 33 and 49, were rounded up at 4.30pm yesterday.
State Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director Datuk Abd Aziz Aban, in confirming the arrests, said aside from the trio, the commission summoned a businessman and a contractor to have their statements taken.
Yesterday, the magistrate’s court granted a four-day extension remand order against the agency’s chief executive officer (CEO).
Sources told the New Straits Times that the remand order was extended to facilitate further investigation into allegations that he had given educational aid and scholarships to his child.
“MACC needs more time to determine the total money (that was allegedly) used by the CEO for his child’s education, and how much is the other Penang Zakat officer involved in this matter,” the source said.
The source added that investigations into the contractors were almost complete.
Magistrate Mohamad Amin Sahul Hamid allowed the application by MACC to extend the remand against the CEO and the other Penang Zakat officer by four days after their initial seven-day remand order had expired.
He, however, released three contractors remanded for the same case on RM5,000 bail each.
On Saturday, the MACC released four contractors on bail while two Penang Zakat officers and one contractor were released on Sunday.
They were picked up in their offices on May 9 for their alleged involvement in the Penang Zakat graft scandal.