Forestry Dept officer, wife among five remanded for corruption

A Forestry Department officer and his wife were among five suspects ordered to be remanded for six days to assist investigations into alleged corruption involving illegal logging in the Jerantut district.

The other three are a forest ranger of the district, as well as an owner and a manager of a logging company.

The remand order was issued by Magistrate Tengku Eliana Tuan Kamaruzaman following an application from deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fadly Mohd Zamri of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

All the suspects were represented by counsel Hon Kai Ping.

The suspects, aged between 40 and 50, were picked up at their respective homes and the district forestry department office yesterday to facilitate investigations under Section 17(a) and 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.

It is learnt that the forestry officer and his staff had allegedly received bribes from the company as inducement to not take action on illegal logging activities since 2015.

-- BERNAMA