KUANTAN: A senior state Customs enforcement officer was remanded for another six days to facilitate a graft probe into a case involving illegally-mined bauxite being exported overseas via Kuantan Port here.
The 56-year-old man had pulled up the top of his orange Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) uniform to cover his face as he was escorted by two MACC officers out of the Kuantan Courts Complex here late this morning.
As he was exiting the complex lobby, a Customs officer was seen rushing behind him to cover his head with a checkered long-sleeved buttoned shirt.
He was brought into a waiting gray car near the lobby entrance, before the vehicle sped away.
The Customs officer was first detained by MACC at a location here on Wednesday last week, where on that same day he was also ordered to be remanded until today by Magistrate Tengku Eliana Kamaruzaman.
Today, she allowed an application by MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry to further remand the man until Sunday (Aug 13).
The remand extension was allowed to facilitate investigation into corruption involving miners flouting an existing moratorium on fresh bauxite-mining in Pahang.
Fadhly confirmed the outcome of the remand hearing against the Customs officer, who had allegedly received kickbacks to ignore illegally-mined bauxite brought to the port.
Miners are currently only allowed to clear bauxite stockpiles accumulated from mining done before the moratorium was imposed on Jan 15 last year.
Aside from the Customs officer, nine assistant enforcement officers and a general assistant from the state Land and Mines Office (PTG) are also currently under remand as part of a massive crackdown on illegal bauxite mining in the state.
The nine assistant PTG enforcement officers' remand would expire tomorrow (Aug 9) while the PTG general assistant's remand expires on Sunday(Aug 13).
ENDS
Keywords: Bauxite-mining, Kuantan Port, Customs officer, remand extended