MACC REMANDS PREACHER, FINANCE HEAD A SECOND TIME OVER ALLEGED RM1.3 MLN MISAPPROPRIATION

ALOR SETAR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of Kedah has remanded an independent preacher for the second time, as well as the head of the finance and accounting department of an educational and dakwah institution in the state, on suspicion of conspiring to misappropriate funds amounting to about RM1.3 million.

The three-day remand order against the two suspects was issued until Sunday (Feb 8) by Magistrate Nur Amalina Abd Rahman following an application by the MACC at the Magistrate's Court here today.

According to a source, the suspects, a man and a woman in their 30s, were re-arrested at about 6 pm yesterday at the Sungai Petani MACC office for investigation into another case.

The source added that both suspects had earlier been remanded for one day yesterday after the application was made at the Sungai Petani Magistrate’s Court, and released at 5 pm on the same day.

"Both suspects, with the preacher also the managing director of the educational and dakwah institution, have been remanded for the second time on suspicion of conspiring to misappropriate funds amounting to about RM1.3 million, which was deposited into his personal account.

"Investigations also found that both suspects had approved payment for a house purchase worth about RM500,000,” the source added.

Yesterday, both suspects were remanded over alleged abuse of power involving about RM600,000 in fundraising payments for an educational and dakwah institution without obtaining approval from the other partner.

Meanwhile, Kedah MACC director Datuk Nazli Rasyid Sulong, when contacted, confirmed the arrests and said that the investigation by the Kedah MACC and the MACC Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division since October last year is being conducted under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA