GEORGE TOWN, Feb 22 — A government agency’s deputy director in Kedah and its two staff in Penang have been remanded for five days for allegedly submitting false claims amounting to RM27,380.

The remand order issued by George Town’s Sessions Court / Criminal Magistrate’s Court assistant registrar Muna Maria Azmi from today until Tuesday.

The 56-year-old deputy director was detained at his office in Kedah at 1.45pm yesterday, while the other two men — a driver, 38 and an assistant officer, 51, — were arrested on the same day at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s office in Seberang Perai.

The trio were arrested following a complaint that the deputy director who had served in Penang office in 2016, had submitted false claims to the agency’s administration and finance division pertaining to the supply of the agency’s uniforms.

However, the order was not fully implemented and they were being investigated under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the value of the erroneous claim or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty. — Bernama