Another CID chief detained
THE crackdown against rogue elements in the police continues. Yesterday, the MACC arrested the Alor Gajah CID chief, bringing to four the number of top cops detained in Melaka in connection with a vice den protection racket. The others are Melaka Tengah
MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers yesterday arrested the Alor Gajah Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief in connection with the alleged protection racket run by policemen.
This brings to four the number of police officers arrested in connection with the case. Overall, eight policemen of various ranks have been nabbed since May 16.
However, the arrest of 51-yearold Assistant Superintendent Md Maizaili Mohamed yesterday was the first from the Alor Gajah police district.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the latest arrest yesterday in connection with the commission’s probe into an alleged protection racket to shield operators of illegal gambling dens and massage parlours.
As of yesterday, 12 other suspects remained under remand order.
This included the Jasin and Melaka Tengah police chiefs who were arrested on May 16 along with four policemen from the state police headquarters and the two district police headquarters.
Three civilians believed to be middlemen were also arrested that day.
The following day, a corporal attached to the state Anti-Vice, Gaming and Secret Societies Division was arrested at his home, where RM800,000 in cash was seized by MACC officers.
On May 19, a self-employed man suspected to be an intermediary in the racket was remanded after being arrested a day earlier.
The Melaka Tengah CID chief was arrested at 12.30pm on May 21 in his office and remanded the next day.
Melaka state police chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan declined to comment on the latest developments, only confirming that he was aware of the situation.
In Putrajaya, MACC yesterday obtained a six-day extension for the remand orders against the 52-year-old corporal and one of the suspected middlemen, aged 32.
Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman granted the extension.
In Kuala Lumpur, InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said a reshuffle had been conducted in Melaka.
He said the reshuffle involved 15 policemen.
“The exercise took effect immediately after the MACC arrests. This is only the first-phase and more will follow suit. I will visit the contingent tomorrow,” he said after launching a blood donation drive in conjunction with the 210th Police Day at Federal Police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
Khalid said police viewed the issue seriously and would not compromise on the integrity of the force.
He added that the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department was also helping to trace other rogue policemen.
“The department is also conducting internal investigations to identify the bad apples,” he said.
In Kuching, a traffic policeman became the latest officer in Sarawak arrested by MACC.
The suspect was arrested after he was summoned to the state MACC headquarters at 10pm on Tuesday night.
It was learnt that the 35-yearold, who is attached to the Kuching police headquarters, was alleged to have accepted a bribe of RM4,500 this month.
“The money was an inducement for the policeman not to take action against the motorist, who had committed a traffic offence,” sources told the New Straits Times.
The man has been remanded for five days until Sunday.
Last month, six enforcement officers from the state Immigration Department were charged at the Kuching Special Court for Corruption in Petra Jaya near here for accepting bribes totalling RM2,500 last year. Additional reporting by Adib Povera and Rahmat Khairulrijal