ALOR SETAR: Five enforcement agency officers have been remanded for six days for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes from fishing vessel owners in Kedah.
The remand order, starting Tuesday (Sept 12), was granted by Magistrate Siti Norhidayah Mohd Noor at the Alor Setar Court Complex.
It is learnt that the suspects were believed to have received the bribes as an inducement not to take action against fishing vessels in violation of the Fisheries Act 1985 from 2018 to 2021.
The suspects, aged between 30 and 50, were among nine enforcement officers and two civilians who were detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) between 10am and noon on Monday (Sept 11) at the graft-buster agency headquarters after their statements were recorded.
The two civilians were believed to have offered bribes of between RM300 and RM7,000 to the nine enforcement officers who were based in Kuala Kedah, Langkawi and Batu Uban in Penang.
The remaining six suspects were released on MACC bonds after their statements were recorded.
The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of MACC Act 2009.
