Shamsher Singh Thind said the 76-year-old would be brought by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to the sessions court in Butterworth to face charges under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009.

The provision covers public officers who abuse their positions to gain benefits for themselves or others. If found guilty, the offence carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Shamsher added that MACC had not disclosed the details of the charge. However, in December, a senior MACC source told FMT that Ramasamy was being investigated over alleged irregularities involving procurement by the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB), which he had overseen.

Ramasamy denied the allegations, saying that PHEB’s finances were audited and approved during his tenure.

“We urge everyone to allow the legal process to proceed and avoid speculation,” Shamsher said.

The probe into the 2019 purchase of a gold-plated chariot for RM800,000 followed a complaint that PHEB had overpaid for substandard work.

Ramasamy, who chaired PHEB from 2010 to 2023, insisted that it was always gold-plated, not solid gold. He also said the deal went through open tender, board approvals, and auditor-general oversight.

“To say it was made of substandard material is misleading. It was gold-plated, which naturally involves the use of other metals,” he said.

Calling the case political persecution, Ramasamy claimed his critics were trying to tarnish his name. “If there’s a money trail to my account, prove it,” he said.

Last August, Bernama reported that current PHEB chairman RSN Rayer had submitted PHEB’s findings from an internal forensic audit to MACC. Rayer claimed that the audit had uncovered several red flags, but did not elaborate on them.

On Dec 4 last year, Ramasamy was barred from leaving the country. He later gave a statement at MACC’s office.

MACC chief Azam Baki confirmed the probe last year but declined further comment.