An application to challenge a salesperson's 21-day detention under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca) was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.

RS Vishnu Moorthy was detained without trial on March 29 over his involvement in VenusFX, a foreign exchange scheme that allegedly swindled RM80 million from more than 23,000 investors.

According to filings by Vishnu Moorthy's wife A Mageswarie, he had worked at the company for slightly over a year and was "just a salesperson" with no decision-making roles.

"I want my husband to be released, my baby is at risk because I am under so much pressure,” said Mageswari, who is six months pregnant with their first child.

According to her lawyer P Uthayakumar, it was wrong to apply Poca in what was a commercial crimes case.

"If there is a case anyone, investigate and charge them in court rather than detain them indefinitely without trial," he told reporters.

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Uthayakumar also filed a certificate of urgency for the matter to be heard immediately before the 21 days expired as he has been denied access to his client, whose detention he described as unconstitutional and unlawful.

Since Vishnu Moorthy's arrest, his wife and lawyer have written five letters to the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department police chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani but they have yet to receive any reply.

They have no knowledge on where he is being detained or details of the investigation.

The purpose of Poca is for prevention of crime and for the control of criminals, secret societies and terrorists but not for use in commercial fraud cases, Uthayakumar said.

"There are other Tan Sri, Datuk Seri and Datuk Sri linked with the investigations, but they have not been arrested or charged.

"I do not want my client to be caught up in a cover up involving prominent people,” said Uthayakumar.

According to the police, six people were arrested over their involvement with VenusFX.