ALOR STAR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was granted a four-day remand order against a political activist and two others to assist the investigation into an alleged corruption case.
Magistrate Siti Nor Hasliza Mohd Ali granted the remand application when the trio were taken in MACC vehicles to the Alor Star Court Complex here at about 9am.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the men are being investigated for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe from a celebrity preacher to settle the latter's money laundering case from being investigated by the police.
"Initial investigation suggests that all suspects had conspired to solicit RM150,000 from the preacher but only received RM20,000 from him," said the source.
It was learnt that all the men, in their 30s and 50s, were detained in Bedong and the state MACC headquarters between noon and 5pm yesterday.
When contacted, Kedah MACC director Ahmad Nizam Ismail confirmed the arrest.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a) A of the MACC Act 2009.
Earlier, the politician was heard shouting "Lawan tetap lawan" (never surrender) to the media as he was led into the building.
He repeated the same shouts when he was later led out of the building after the remand proceeding.
He also claimed that the probe was politically motivated to silence the supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.