KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The former Youth and Sports Ministry official currently facing corruption charges in court was today picked up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for suspected money laundering.
According to Malaysiakini, the man and three others — a husband and wife team and a contractor — were nabbed by anti-graft officers over their alleged involved in laundering some RM17 million.
All four are expected to be charged tomorrow under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2010.
Malaysiakini’s report said the four, aged between 37 and 57 years old, were picked up at MACC’s headquarters today.
On March 31, 57-year-old Otman Arsahd was charged with 32 counts of corruption involving RM38.5 million in federal funds.
The ex-ministry official claimed trial to 17 charges under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and another 15 under Section 23(1) of the same Act.
Otman, who was a division secretary in the ministry, was accused of forging documents and abusing his position and power during a period stretching from February 28, 2012 to November 18, 2015.
According to the Section 23(1) charges against Otman, he allegedly used his position as the ministry's finance division secretary to direct the National Sports Council's director-general to make fund transfers amounting to over RM2.16 million to a company on 15 occasions from May 2, 2012 to November 18, 2015.
Section 23(1) covers the offence of a public body's officer using his position for the gratification either of himself, his relatives or his associates.
According to the Section 18 charges, Otman was accused of submitting documents with false information on 17 occasions to National Sports Council finance division director Abdul Rashid Yaakub regarding payment amounting to a total of RM36.3 million to three other companies.
Section 18 covers the offence of intention to deceive the principal by agent.
If convicted under any count of the corruption charges, Otman will face a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine that is at least five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, depending which amount is higher.
