MACC Busts Enforcement Couple Over Gold Shop 'Funded By Bribes'

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has uncovered a corruption scheme involving a married couple, both of whom are enforcement officers, allegedly opening a gold jewellery shop funded by bribes.

The couple, in their forties, is believed to have been facilitating the unlawful entry of foreign nationals without proper documentation in violation of immigration laws for the past four years.

MACC revealed on its official TikTok channel that, according to its investigation, the suspects established the shop using approximately RM600,000 in initial capital by registering it under the names of their child and the female suspect’s sister.

They were detained under Op Dygo and have been remanded for five days until tomorrow, pursuant to a remand order granted by the Ayer Keroh Magistrates' Court, Melaka.

According to MACC deputy chief commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, the suspects worked on a legalisation programme that enabled employers to secure valid work permits for their undocumented foreign workers.

He explained that under this programme, employers were required to submit their foreign workers' files for an initial review by the enforcement division.

"After passing this first stage of screening, employers with compliant foreign worker files were to bring them to the suspects for a final check to ensure all documents were complete before obtaining an Acceptance Account.

"However, to expedite the process from seven days to just three, employers are believed to have been required to pay RM700 for each foreign worker," he said.

Ahmad Khusairi said the bribe payments were received in cash and distributed to other officers handling the files, with the suspects receiving RM150 per foreign worker.

He said that over four years, from 2020, the suspects are believed to have accumulated about RM900,000, which was used to open the gold jewellery shop and purchase a luxury car.

He added that during the raid, the jewellery shop in Pahang was found to have a gold inventory of approximately three kilogrammes, with a current market value estimated at RM1.4 million.

The case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA