KUALA LUMPUR: A former deputy court registrar was detained yesterday (March 17) for allegedly soliciting a RM2 million bribe to resolve an Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) probe on a businessman who was charged in relation to the Jana Wibawa scandal.
According to a source, the man, who is in his 50s, was believed to have asked for money as a reward for asking MACC to change the businessman's statement to become a witness statement; and to change a charge of corruption to an alternative charge.
The source said the suspect had served as a deputy court registrar in Putrajaya before retiring in December 2021.
"The suspect was believed to be have been arrested at 9.30pm when giving his statement at the Kuala Lumpur MACC office yesterday (March 17).
"A three-day remand order from today (March 18) until March 20 was issued by magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin at the Putrajaya magistrate's court following a request made by MACC," said the source.
When contacted, Kuala Lumpur MACC director Razaliah Ab Rahman confirmed the matter and said the case was being investigated under Section 16 (a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
The Jana Wibawa programme was introduced in November 2020 by the government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as a stimulus initiative to help Bumiputera contractors.
However, last December, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said there was a serious breach of procedure in the handling of RM600 billion in public funds during Muhyiddin's tenure as prime minister.
This led to an MACC probe that saw the arrest several people, including a key mastermind known as "Datuk Roy", who had allegedly went around saying he could settle cases related to the Jana Wibawa corruption scandal.
It was reported that the son of a political leader, who was found to have links to the programme, was said to be on the MACC's radar as the anti-graft agency widens its investigation on the scandal.
Muhyiddin, who is Perikatan Nasional chairman and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president, had been charged with seven counts of abuse of power and money laundering in relation to the programme.
Last month, two other Bersatu members — Tasek Gelugor member of parliament Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad — were also charged with accepting bribes in connection with the programme.