8 REMANDED IN RM2MIL BRIBERY PROBE OVER FELDA LAND SALE

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has remanded eight people in Kuala Lumpur and Sabah in a RM2 million bribery case involving a syndicate selling land belonging to the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) in Melaka.

A source at MACC said those arrested in Kuala Lumpur comprise three brokers and two members of the public, while those in Sabah comprise two bank officers and a company director, all aged from their 20s to 50s.

Magistrate Lili Marisqa Khalizan issued a seven-day remand order until June 17 for the five male suspects at the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court.

In Kota Kinabalu, magistrate Wan Farrah Afriza Wan Ghazali issued a six-day remand order until June 16 for three suspects – two women and a man.

According to the source, the three brokers and the company director, with the help of the two members of the public acting as middlemen, gave almost RM2 million in bribes to two bank officers in return for the approval of bank accounts apparently opened under Felda.

He said the bank accounts were opened under Felda’s name so buyers would assume that the land deals were genuine Felda deals, and they would make their payments to the said accounts.

“The action of these bank officers in cahoots with the syndicate caused the sale of 260ha of Felda land worth RM400 million in Bukit Katil, Melaka, in 2023,” the source said.

The source said that following the arrests, MACC froze almost 200 bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies, totalling over RM28 million.

Zamri Zainul Abidin, the director of MACC’s anti-money laundering division, confirmed the arrests.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, pertaining to the acceptance of gratification, and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

2024-06-11T12:26:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd