A senior Malacca government official with a ‘Datuk’ title was detained a second time by MACC, RM23mil and 46 accounts frozen

THE STAR

Datuk rearrested, RM23mil and 46 accounts frozen

MALACCA: A senior state government official with a ‘Datuk’ title was detained a second time by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) – this time for inquiries into money laundering involving millions of ringgit.

The Datuk had earlier been remanded on Tuesday for investigation into allegations that he had solicited kickbacks in exchange for approval of projects

According to a source in MACC, the 55-year-old man was released on bail at 9.25am on Friday after a four-day remand but was recalled to the MACC office here on the same evening.

He was released at 11am yesterday.

The man, who wore a white shirt and black trousers, was seen lea­ving the compound of the MACC office at 11.07am.

“Investigations are being carried out un­­der Section 4(1) of the Anti-Mo­ney Laudering and Anti-Terrorism Financial Act 2001 (AMLA),” the source said.

The suspect, who had worked for three years as a senior officer, was being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act in the earlier case, which provides for up to 20 years in jail and a RM10,000 fine or five times the value of the bribe or whichever is higher.

It is learnt that MACC had frozen 22 bank accounts owned by the senior official and his family members amounting to RM11mil and 24 accounts belonging to a contractor totalling RM12mil. — Bernama