Another four civil servants have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today in connection with the smuggling of sand.

In a statement, MACC said three of those arrested were from Pahang and one was from Johor.

Yesterday, the commission announced that 34 people have been arrested nationwide in connection with the case. Twenty-four of them are government staff, including the aides of two politicians.       

The total bribe involved more than RM280,000 and sex. The arrests were made in five states over the past week.

The MACC said 20 people have been remanded nationwide today between four and seven days to facilitate investigations. The rest have been released on MACC bond after having their statements recorded.

NONE At the Kajang Magistrate's Court , nine people, including a woman, was remanded for five days.

Among those remanded were Hussein Ahmad ( middle ), the aide of Selangor executive councillor Yaakop Sapari, and another officer attached with the state government subsidiary company.

It is learnt that the men would be remanded at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya while the woman will be sent to the commission’s office in Cheras.

Initially, MACC lawyers applied for a seven-day remand but this was shot down by magistrate Faizal Nor hadi.

Suffering from diabetes and asthma

Hussein's lawyer Imran Hadzalie Abd Hamid objected to the remand, saying that his client was willing to come in everyday to assist in the investigations.

"There is no need to remand them as they came in and seized documents (from Yaakop's office)," he added.

macc sand corruption case 210110 01 Imran said three complaints were lodged against his client under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act. The section pertains to the offence of giving and accepting gratification by an agent.

The remand application was made under Section 117 of Criminal Procedure Code.

Imran, who has been appointed by the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government, said there was no indication whether his client is a suspect or witness.

Pakatan Rakyat Special Officers Organisation chairperson Razak Ismail also disagreed with the need to remand Hussein, saying that the 62-year-old aide has diabetes and asthma.

"Furthermore, the MACC had seized documents from (state exco Yaakob's) office and Hussein assisted in the investigations at the state secretariat building," he said.

Yesterday, a team of MACC officers raided Yaakob's office in Shah Alam and seized several files pertaining to the sale of sand.

MACC officers search Hussein's house

Meanwhile, at about 4pm, three MACC officers searched the house of Hussein as well as his daughter’s for a photo frame which he allegedly bought as souvenir from China.

According to Hussein's daughter Faridah, the officers went to her house in section 27, Shah Alam when she was not at home.

Following that the MACC team went to Hussein's house in TTDI Jaya. The officers didn't produce any search warrant prior to their search and they took away her mother’s and youngest brother's bankbook.

 

Faridah was upset over the seizure of the bankbooks as her mother would face difficulties in withdrawing money.