Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki said the anti-graft agency had proposed charges against them as it wanted to prioritise action against the highest-ranking officers before extending the investigation to others who might be involved.
“If the attorney-general agrees, we will proceed with charging two more individuals. However, as of now, the MACC has yet to receive a decision from the attorney-general,” Bernama quoted him as saying at a press conference following an anti-corruption programme in Kota Bharu.
“We are proceeding from the highest level first, before moving on to others.”
He said a decision from Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar would be obtained soon, given the case’s significance and public interest.
“This is a responsibility that I have fulfilled, and the attorney-general also has a responsibility to discharge. If there are to be no charges, I want an answer immediately. I do not want all parties to be kept waiting,” he said.
The armed forces have recently come under scrutiny over allegations of corruption and abuse of power among senior officers, particularly concerning military procurement projects and tenders.
Earlier today, former army chief Hafizuddeain Jantan and his wife Salwani Anuar @ Kamaruddin were each charged with four counts of money laundering involving a total of RM2.197 million.
Former armed forces chief Nizam Jaafar will be charged tomorrow with abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and receiving bribes.
This follows MACC’s investigation into an alleged army procurement tender cartel.
The graft-busters are also investigating the owners of 26 companies connected to the contracts, saying that several companies had repeatedly secured high-value military contracts since 2023.
MACC had obtained a five-day remand order for 17 company directors suspected of paying bribes to senior army officers in exchange for supply and maintenance projects.
Hafizuddeain was put on leave as army chief last month after the corruption allegations surfaced, and he later applied for early retirement.
He was previously slated to take over as armed forces chief from Nizam.
Nizam had been on leave since Jan 1, several months ahead of his mandatory retirement in August.