New: Datuk Among Three Held Over Alleged RM1m Bribes to Police

A company owner with the title Datuk and two women have been detained in a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) police bribery probe over about RM1 million allegedly paid to police personnel to shield illegal cigarette smuggling, Bernama reported.

The three were arrested at about 4pm on Sunday (Nov 1) at several locations in Putrajaya, Selangor and Johor, according to Bernama. The two women are a tuition teacher and a marketing executive. None of the suspects was named.

Bribes allegedly paid since 2020

A source said preliminary investigations found that the three had allegedly conspired to commit the offences from 2020 until now. All of them are believed to have acted as middlemen who handed bribes to several police officers and rank-and-file members.

According to the source, the money was allegedly given “in exchange for protection and to avoid enforcement action” against illegal cigarette smuggling activities in the East Coast states and the Klang Valley.

Luxury cars seized, 29 accounts frozen

The arrests followed an operation by the MACC intelligence division carried out together with the police. Several locations were raided, including the suspects’ office premises and homes.

Investigators seized four luxury vehicles worth about RM600,000, four mobile phones and a laptop. The commission also froze 20 personal bank accounts and nine company bank accounts, involving about RM1.5 million in total.

Police bribery probe: remand ends Thursday

On Monday (Nov 2), Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court allowed the MACC’s application to remand the three suspects for four days, until Thursday (Nov 5).

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman confirmed the arrests when contacted. The case is being investigated under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009.

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