KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — A deputy public prosecutor (DPP) with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) who had been part of team investigating 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was arrested today, according to a news report.

Quoting a well-placed source, Malaysiakini said the DPP’s detention was in addition to the arrests of two others today — a former MACC adviser who is a “Tan Sri” and an officer from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“This is in a bid to thwart the investigations as the evidence against the perpetrators are strong,” the source told the news portal.

“We do not rule out the possibility of more arrests to thwart investigations,” the source reportedly added.

Before today’s three arrests, a total of five individuals were detained over the past week to assist the probe on 1MDB.

Local newswire Bernama reported on Tuesday that a 48-year-old managing director of a company with the title of “Datuk” was ordered to be released by Magistrate Court on an MACC bail of RM100,000.

On July 24, a 39-year-old director of a construction company, who was the first individual hauled up to facilitate the investigation, was similarly released on a MACC bail of RM100,000.

On July 25, a 54-year-old company managing director with the title of “Datuk” was released on MACC bail of RM100,000, with RM20,000 deposited in cash and RM80,000 in oral undertaking by two sureties.

On Monday, a 28-year-old sole owner of a trading company, who is the third individual remanded in connection with the probe, was released on a MACC bail of RM50,000 — RM10,000 of it in cash and the remaining RM40,000 as oral assurance from two sureties.

A despatch rider was remanded on Sunday and his four-day remand was set to expire on Wednesday.

The 1MDB special taskforce is currently investigating an alleged US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) money trail involving several companies that purportedly channelled the funds to what is believed to be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bank accounts.

In a report last month, US-based daily Wall Street Journal, citing documents from Malaysian investigators currently scrutinising the troubled 1MDB’s financials, claimed that a money trail showed that US$700 million were moved among government agencies, banks and companies before it ended up in Najib’s accounts.

The 1MDB taskforce involves the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara Malaysia, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.