Six senior officers in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Special Operations Division (Bahagian Operasi Khas) who were directly involved in the SRC International investigations had been transferred out.

It is understood that the six in the crack investigation team included the division's deputy, Tan Kang Sai.

The special division was formed in 2010 to handle high-profile cases as well as cases involving corruption of more than RM1 million.

Two from the team were transferred out in October, while the rest, including Tan, were removed this month. Some of the posts vacated by those transferred out of the special unit have not been filled.

It is understood four of them had been transferred to MACC's investigation division, while others were transferred to state MACC offices and other government agencies.

Their transfers came in the wake of an earlier transfer at about the same time last year of BOK's deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Ahmad Shazalee Abdul Khairi.

Ahmad Shazalee, who was the DPP involved in remanding a number of key witnesses in the SRC International probe, was initially transferred to another department in MACC, but earlier this year he was moved to the Attorney-General Chamber's Trial and Appeals division.

Report of the DPP's transfer, who was seconded to MACC to help in its investigation, also resulted in the AG’s Chambers lodging a report against Malaysiakini for reporting the matter.

This led to a police investigation and a raid of the Malaysiakini office where one computer was seized.

‘A blow to SRC probe’

Sources said the transfer the six MACC officers could be yet another move to further derail the commission's investigations into SRC.

The energy company, which was previously a subsidiary of the troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and now under the Finance Ministry, was probed for depositing RM42 million into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal bank account.

Najib was questioned by MACC on Dec 5 last year for two and a half hours. Among others, Najib has reportedly claimed to be unaware that the RM42 million in his bank account came from SRC, a company belonging to a ministry under his charge.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali subsequently cleared Najib of wrongdoing in January this year.

The MACC special investigation division or its director, Bahri Mohd Zin, cannot be reached to comment on the transfer.

Malaysiakini has also contacted MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad for his comments on the matter but has yet to receive a response.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported an alleged move to downsize the special investigation division, which is also responsible for probing the Felda purchase of hotel property in London and the water infrastructure corruption case in Sabah.