37 individuals remanded in probe into misappropriation of PenjanaKerjaya funds

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today remanded 37 individuals to assist in the investigation into allegations of false claims and misappropriation of the misappropriation of the Employment Recruitment Incentives Programme (PenjanaKerjaya) funds amounting to RM100 million.

According to an MACC source, the remand order against the suspects - 26 men and 11 women, aged between 28 and 70 - was issued by the Magistrate's courts in Putrajaya, Selangor, Johor, Kedah, Pahang, Perak, Penang, Melaka, Perlis, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan.

"In Putrajaya, 11 individuals were remanded for four days until July 17 while in Selangor, the MACC obtained a three-day remand order beginning today against five individuals.

"In Johor, the court granted a remand order of between six and seven days against three suspects. A seven-day remand order, from today until July 20 was issued against one individual in Kedah and two individuals were remanded in Pahang and Perak respectively," said the source.

The source said two suspects in Penang were in remand for six days until July 19.

Two individuals in Melaka and Perlis respectively, three in Kuala Lumpur and four in Negri Sembilan were remanded for five days until July 18.

The suspects, comprising company owners, directors, managers, shareholders, engineers and executives, were detained in an operation dubbed Op Hire, conducted in collaboration with the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

"So far, 67 companies have been investigated and 36 accounts with a total value of more than RM7 million have been frozen," according to the source.

Meanwhile, MACC senior director of investigation Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim confirmed the arrests and said the case was being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA