KUALA LUMPUR: The senior Kuala Lumpur City Hall officer arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last month is expected to be charged today in the Jalan Duta court complex.
The senior officer, a “Datuk Seri”, is expected to be charged over abuse of power and graft at the Special Corruption Sessions Court.
He had been one of three seniors officers detained by MACC officers in simultaneous raids in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Kelantan on Aug 15. The others were a Public Works Department officer in Malacca who is a “Datuk” and a senior Tenaga Nasional Bhd officer in Kota Baru.
MACC froze RM13 million found in their accounts, including savings accounts and unit trusts, valued at between RM1 million and RM6 million.
They also seized several condominium units, including a penthouse and a bungalow, and several luxury vehicles, among them a Maserati, and BMW and Audi cars.
In the wake of the arrests, the New Straits Times reported that MACC believed that corrupt practices could be occurring on an unprecedented scale in City Hall.
The paper learnt that the graft busters would be summoning up to 30 more City Hall officers for questioning over corrupt practices. These officers were believed to have been working in cahoots with the Datuk Seri in getting gratification from developers by abusing their positions.
The officers are believed to have made easy money by leveraging on the network established by their superior.
MACC investigation director Datuk Azam Baki had told NST that officers of various ranks were believed to have been milking housing developers forced to deal with City Hall for various approvals to get free condominium units, which were later sold at higher prices.
He had also said that housing developers who had entered into deals with the City Hall officers would also face the music.