Summary

  • MACC arrests two Home Ministry officers and a member of the public over alleged graft related to citizenship applications.

  • The commission says the arrests yesterday were part of Ops Outlander.

MACC has confirmed the arrest of two Home Ministry officers and a member of the public during an operation in Putrajaya yesterday.

The graft buster said the three individuals were arrested to facilitate investigations after information was received regarding a corruption case involving efforts to expedite approvals for citizenship applications.

In a statement today, MACC said the trio are having their statements recorded at the agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya.

“The Home Ministry is providing its full cooperation to the MACC in conducting this investigation,” it added.

While the commission did not name any of the individuals arrested, it is alleged that the third person is a politician. However, Malaysiakini has yet to confirm this.

The anti-graft agency said the arrests between 1pm and 5pm yesterday are linked with Op Outlander, which previously resulted in the arrest of a civil servant who is believed to have received payments up to RM15,000 for each birth certificate issued through a late registration syndicate.

A doctor, who was also detained in the operation, is suspected of handling birth attestation documents.

MACC on March 16 said it had frozen 11 bank accounts worth RM100,000 and seized 30 documents related to the investigation.

Earlier, MACC arrested 16 individuals, including a medical practitioner with a Datuk Seri title, over alleged corruption tied to the registration of non-citizen births as citizens and the use of fraudulent supporting documents.

The arrests, executed through raids at various locations including clinics and law firms in the Klang Valley and Johor, followed nearly a year of intelligence gathering in collaboration with the National Registration Department.

Citizenship row: Retract claims or risk lawsuit, Warisan tells Shafie’s critics

Citizenship row: Retract claims or risk lawsuit, Warisan tells Shafie’s critics

Apex court moots Indonesian mum, govt resolve citizenship dispute amicably

Apex court moots Indonesian mum, govt resolve citizenship dispute amicably

Source: Detained legal practitioner assisted syndicate in registering birth

Source: Detained legal practitioner assisted syndicate in registering birth

Syndicate forging birth documents to deceive NRD busted

Syndicate forging birth documents to deceive NRD busted