KUANTAN: Nine Pahang Land and Mines Office enforcement officers have been remanded for seven days from yesterday to facilitate investigations into illegal bauxite mining activities here.
Magistrate Tengku Eliana Tuan Kamaruzaman issued the remand order applied by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohammad Fadhly Mohd Zamri from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The suspects, aged between 29 and 59, are being investigated under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009, for allegedly receiving bribes as inducement to protect illegal mining activities.
The section, punishable under Section 24 of the same act, provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a minimum fine of RM10,000 or five times the bribe amount, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The suspects who were picked up at the district between 3.30pm and 3.45pm on Wednesday, arrived at the court complex, clad in lockup attire, at about 10.30am and form part of the 10 individuals detained in a special operation by the MACC due to the ongoing mining activities despite the moratorium imposed until Dec 31.
Also detained was a senior Customs officer, aged 56, who would be remanded until Aug 8. During the operation, the MACC also seized 18 lorries transporting bauxite from illegal mines around Bukit Goh and Bukit Sagu here. — Bernama