KUCHING, Aug 2 — Two people, including an acting director of the National Civics Bureau (BTN), were today remanded for six days until August 8 to facilitate investigations into a case involving false claims totalling RM600,000.
Magistrate Mohd Syukri Mokhtar allowed the remand order by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the 37-year-old suspect and the 36-year-old woman, an assistant administrative officer with BTN, who were to be detained at the MACC lock-up and Satok Police Station here respectively.
He also ordered MACC to bring the male suspect to the hospital to get medical check-up after the latter complained of back pain.
MACC prosecuting officer Dzulkarnian Rousan told the court it was crucial to place the two suspects under remand because their release could jeopardise the investigation into the case.
The two suspects are among nine of the BTN staff who have so far been remanded to assist in the investigation of this case.
Yesterday MACC also obtained a remand order on a married couple for the same case and five others were also remanded since July 31, including two BTN assistant directors.
Sarawak MACC director Razim Mohd Noor, when contacted, confirmed the BTN arrests and said the state MACC was in the process of tracing all the company owners involved throughout Sarawak.
He said nine BTN officers and six company owners had been arrested so far and 138 witnesses involving 20 companies statewide had their statements recorded.
All the suspects were arrested to assist in preliminary investigations under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, he added.
Meanwhile a MACC source said the BTN staff involved, including six women, aged between 30 and 53, were believed to have abetted with 43 companies statewide by submitting documents containing false details to claim work payments.
“Preliminary investigations also revealed that 70 per cent of the services or supplies made by these companies to BTN did not exist or not implemented within the period concerned,” added the source. — Bernama
