Melbourne property purchase: Former Mara Inc officers, company director remanded

Two former senior officers of Mara Incorporated Sdn Bhd (Mara Inc), both with the "Datuk" title, are among three people in remand for investigation into the purchase of property by the company in Melbourne, Australia.

The remand order was issued by Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab. Rahman today against a former chairman and former chief executive officer of Mara Inc and a director of a trading company.

The three men, who are in their 40s and 50s, would be in remand for seven days from today until March 30.

They were detained at about 10 am yesterday after giving their statements at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here.

Last year, Mara Inc, which is an investment arm of Mara, was involved in a controversy following a report by an Australian newspaper, 'The Age', which claimed that the company purchased a five-storey apartment block at Dudley International House in Melbourne at a price which was above the market price.

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The newspaper claimed that "a group of very rich Malaysian officers" had overpaid A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million) for the apartment block in 2013.

Dudley International House was bought by Mara for use as a hostel for its students there.