The remand order, which expires on April 10, was issued by Magistrate Ferhansha Farene Mohd Ferdaus after allowing the application from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the 38-year-old former branch manager and the loan supervisor, 33.

The case is being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

According to the MACC sources, both men were detained about 5.40pm after giving their statements at the MACC office in Tawau yesterday.

The sources also said that the alleged case took place between 2009 and 2013.

Both men were alleged to have falsified and submitted 36 documents containing false details in loan application forms submitted under 36 names for obtaining micro-credit loans.

The sources also said that the 36 applicants, whose names were used in the loan application forms, had not applied for any financing from the state-owned company.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the cheques issued under the 36 applicants’ names had already been cashed by the two suspects.

One of the suspects was allegedly found to have falsified five National Registration Department death certificates of the five applicants for the purpose of waiving their loan repayments, as well as discharging the mortality cheques to the applicants’ beneficiaries.