The Kuching Magistrate’s Court has remanded a private secretary of a federal minister until April 20 on allegations of making false claims amounting to RM500,000.

Borneo Post reported the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) DPP Low Chin How making the application.

The accused is attached to Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Entulu, according to the Sarawak daily, which also named the private secretary.

Magistrate Zulhairil Sulaiman allowed the suspect to be remanded by the MACC to assist investigations into the matter.

Entulu when contacted by the daily expressed shock over the arrest and claimed that the officer had not done anything wrong.

"He is only being investigated. MACC officers brought him to court to extend his remand to enable further investigation.

“So it was not an arrest and (he has) not been charged (yet)," said Entulu in a text message to Borneo Post .