Ex-spy agency DG Hasanah remanded five days over misuse of GE14 funds
Wednesday, 29 Aug 201812:08 PM MYT
by joseph kaos jr
PUTRAJAYA: Former Malaysian External Investigation Organisation (MEIO) director-general, Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid, has been remanded for five days over alleged misappropriation of GE14 funds.
Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim allowed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) application for the 61-year-old to be remanded until Sept 2.
Hasanah is being investigated under Section 23 (1) of the MACC Act of using one's office or position for gratification.
The senior public officer arrived at the court complex here at 9am Wednesday (Aug 29) in a MACC vehicle.
Hasanah was arrested at the MACC headquarters on 4.15pm Tuesday (Aug 28), after arriving to give a statement to the anti-graft body.
MACC sources said she was being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the 14th General Election.
On Tuesday, seven civil servants, including a high-ranking officer from the research division of the Prime Minister's Department, were also remanded for alleged misappropriation of GE14 funds.
Previously, Hasanah was in the limelight when it was revealed that she had written to CIA director Gina Haspel, appealing to the United States to support former premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's administration.
Several screenshots of the letter were leaked and went viral.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/08/29/ex-spy-agency-dg-hasanah-remanded-five-days-over-misuse-of-ge14-funds/#LPdm4DtALDDTTQjZ.99
Hashini Kavishtri Kannan and Mohd Husni Mohd Noor
New Straits Times29 August 2018, 7:41 AM GMT+8*
PUTRAJAYA: GRAFTBUSTERS have picked up the former top intelligence officer serving the Prime
Minister’s Department (PMD) to help shed light on missing millions, allegedly from funds meant for the 14th General Election (GE14).
Sources told the New Straits Times that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigators took Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid, 61, who headed the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), formally known as the Research Department of the PMD, into custody at 4.15pm yesterday.
The NST has learnt that investigators took Hasanah into custody to assist in probes into the RM49 million allegedly siphoned from the government’s coffers.
Hasanah earlier presented herself at the MACC headquarters here to have her statement recorded. She was recently embroiled in a controversy surrounding a letter sent to the Central Intelligence Agency, headquartered in Langley, Virginia, supposedly urging Washington to back Barisan Nasional in the event of a slim victory in the last polls.
Hasanah is expected to be produced in court today for remand to facilitate probes under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 for “abuse of power for gratification”.
Police had, on Monday, arrested Hasanah’s deputy, along with six others, from the same office, in relation to the missing millions.
They are administrative and diplomatic services (PTD)
officers between Grades 44 and 48.
It is learnt that her arrest followed the MACC investigators’ initial questioning of the seven.
This was also when the graftbusters learnt about the missing RM4 million.
The six suspects were arrested at their office, while the senior officer was held at the MACC headquarters. It is understood that initial investigations revealed that Hasanah and the seven had abused the funds for personal gains.
MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed the arrests.
Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim allowed for the seven to be remanded for five days till Saturday.
Earlier this month, another group, comprising security personnel serving the PMD, were remanded for allegedly misappropriating funds totalling RM3.5 million, also said to be for the May 9 national polls.
They were said to have taken the money from an office in the PMD. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
