PUTRAJAYA: Four men were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for posing as its senior officers and also as a deputy public prosecutor to solicit bribes, purportedly to help settle cases being investigated by the commission.
Three of them, including the mastermind known as “Dato Roy” who claimed to be a MACC director, were arrested in an operation at a hotel here at about 4.30pm yesterday.
The fourth suspect was arrested at his house in Melaka at 8.30pm yesterday. MACC is now seeking another female suspect.
The four, aged between 39 and 54, included a company owner and a company director. They have been remanded for six days until Dec 22 to facilitate MACC’s investigation.
The remand order was issued today by magisrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim here.
According to an MACC source, the four men were said to have solicited a bribe allegedly to change to a lighter offence the charge against the complainant in the case, as well as to lift the freeze on a bank account.
“Intelligence results found that members of the group enter the compound of the MACC headquarters to take pictures of themselves to convince victims that they are MACC officers,” said the source, adding that their movements had been recorded by CCTV cameras at the headquarters.
The source said the MACC has ascertained the identity of the woman who is also a member of the group and is tracking her down.
MACC intelligence director Azmi Kamaruzaman, who confirmed the arrests, said the case was being investigated under Section 16 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.
He advised the public to be wary of individuals posing as MACC officers to solicit bribes purportedly to help to solve MACC cases.