A police officer with the rank of DSP stationed in Melaka Tengah district is being remanded for seven days to assist in the investigation for allegedly collecting bribes from operators of illegal gambling centres and massage parlours.

The 49-year-old officer was the 12th individual detained to facilitate the probe.

The remand order which is effective today until May 29 was issued by magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman who allowed the application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the case under Sections 16 (a)(B) and 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

The DSP who was arrested at his office in Melaka about 12.30pm yesterday was brought to the Magistrate's Court, here, at 9.10am today.

Yesterday, the MACC was allowed to extend the remand order by five more days on nine individuals including two district police chiefs in Melaka to assist in the investigation.

Besides the nine, a police corporal and a civilian are also being remanded in connection with the case.

In a separate case, a former administrative assistant in the sales and marketing division in a government-linked company (GLC) is remanded for five days from today until May 27 for suspected soliciting and accepting bribes.

Nik Isfahanie allowed the MACC's application for a remand order to be issued on the 40-year-old man to assist in the investigation under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

The man is believed to have sought and accepted bribes amounting to RM86,000 from a number of legal firms as inducement to ensure that they be appointed by the banks to prepare the loan agreements for the purchase of property under the GLC.

He is also believed to be involved in the malpractice for the past number of years before resigning from his job last week.

In TAIPING, three men including the mastermind believed to be behind the fraudulent JJ Poor To Rich (JJPTR) investment scheme, were today released on police bail.

Taiping district police chief, Harrith Kam Abdullah said the three suspects would be handed over to another state''s police contingent headquarters which he did not disclose.

Yesterday, the three individuals, aged 28 to 29, were ordered to be remanded for two days by the Magistrate's Court, here.

They were detained after a man lodged a report at the Kamunting police station recently, claiming that he had lost RM4,700 after joining the JJPTR investment scheme.

This scheme is believed to have reaped RM1.7 billion from the investments made by the victims.

-- BERNAMA