MACC obtains 7-day remand order against 4 PUZ personnel

GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has obtained a seven-day remand order starting today against a high ranking officer of the Penang Tithes Management Centre (PUZ) and three of his officers to facilitate investigations in a corruption probe.
Magistrate Mohamad Amin Shahul Hamid issued the remand order against them along with seven of their contractors to facilitate investigation under Section 17 (a), Section 17 (b) and Section 23 of the MACC Act.
They were brought to the Magistrates Court for remand proceedings in several MACC vehicles and were escorted into court by the commission's officers.
All of them were clad in MACC orange lock-up t-shirts and covered their faces as press photographers attempted to take their photos at the George Town Court Complex.
Later in a press conference, state MACC director Datuk Abdul Aziz Aban said the 50 year-old high ranking officer and his personnel aged 35 to 40-years-old was detained in an operation dubbed as "Ops Miskin".
Abdul Aziz said the suspect was detained at his office in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam at about 10.40am, followed by his three officers.
"The suspect was believed to have received valuable items, cash and cheques from several construction company owners and PUZ suppliers as an inducement to obtain projects or work related to the state agency's community development projects," he told reporters at the Penang MACC headquarters.
He added that the suspect was also believed to have approved PUZ's annual scholarship award and education start-up assistance to one of his children without the consent of the Penang Islamic Religious Department (JAIPP).