Former Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) chief Hasanah Abdul Hamid was arrested by the MACC today for allegedly misappropriating election funds.

Sources close to the case told Malaysiakini that Hasanah was being investigated over the missing money amounting to millions of ringgit.

The arrest was confirmed by MACC deputy chief commissioner of operations Azam Baki, who said that they will be investigating her under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009.

Azam, however, declined to elaborate further, but said that Hasanah will be taken to court for a remand application tomorrow.

Section 23(1) criminalises the use of office or position for gratification, and is punishable under Section 24(1) of the act by up to 20 years' imprisonment, and a fine at least five times of the value of the gratification or RM10,000.

Malaysiakini previously reported that security personnel at the Prime Minister’s Department allegedly took RM3.5 million in cash on the night of May 9, when they learned that BN was about to lose the election.

The money was said to be part of Umno’s election war chest.

At the time, the MACC had arrested 17 security personnel in relation to the case, and subsequently made more arrests.

In the run-up to GE14, Hasanah had also written to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) urging the US to support then-Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s administration if BN only secured a narrow victory in the polls.

Hasanah later told reporters that the letter had nothing to do with Najib.

The letter is currently the subject of a separate investigation by the police.