Alleged corruption: DBKL senior official remanded seven days

PUTRAJAYA - The magistrate’s court here granted today the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) request to remand a senior Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) official for seven days starting today to aid investigations on alleged corruption, abuse of power and money laundering.

Azizzul Shariman Mat Yusoff, who represented the DBKL official who has a “Datuk Seri” title and is in charge of City Hall’s projects, said he had requested that his client be released immediately, but his request was denied by magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Abdul Rahman.

“I asked he be released today because my client will fully cooperate if want to take his statement we will go to the office.

Dato' Seri Syed Afendy Ali bin Syed Abid Ali

“I don't know where, but I know they want to search a few other places, that much I know,” he said when met outside the Putrajaya magistrate’s court.

He added that the suspect's home and office were already searched and his car, which is registered under his wife's name, was also seized.

“All the documents have been confiscated from his office and his home. They searched until Maghrib,” he said.

MACC director of Investigations Datuk Azam Baki said in a statement yesterday that the investigation was being conducted under Sections 17(a) and 23 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

If found guilty under the MACC Act, the suspect faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of either RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher.

Under the AML/CTF and the Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, those convicted are liable for a prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of no less than five times the value of the illegal proceeds or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

According to national news agency Bernama, the three civil servants detained yesterday — one of them a “Datuk” and another a “Datuk Seri” — were senior officers at DBKL, the Public Works Department and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

The MACC also froze the trio's accounts, amounting to RM13 million, which comprised of savings accounts and unit trusts worth up to RM6 million per person.