A former Malaysian Army Chief and his third wife have been charged with laundering nearly 2.2 million ringgit, equivalent to over 17 million baht, after becoming targets in a major military anti-corruption sweep. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered a suspension of all military and police procurement linked to the case, stressing that "the military is not a place for corrupt individuals." "tags":["money laundering","Malaysian Army","corruption crackdown","Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim","military procurement"]
Muhammad Hafizuddin Jantan, 58, a former Malaysian Army Chief, and his third wife, 26-year-old Salwani Anuar, were brought before a special court in Kuala Lumpur to face corruption charges. They are being tried separately, each facing four charges under laws addressing money laundering, financing terrorism, and proceeds from illegal activities.
According to the indictment, Hafizuddin is accused of receiving approximately 2.1 million ringgit (about 16.28 million baht) from illegal activities, while Salwani is accused of receiving 77,000 ringgit (about 597,000 baht) from illicit sources. Both have denied all allegations.
The court granted bail of 250,000 ringgit for Hafizuddin and 30,000 ringgit for Salwani, respectively. Both had their passports confiscated and are required to report monthly to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). They face up to 15 years in prison and fines of at least five times the amount involved or no less than 5 million ringgit.
The MACC stated that on Friday, 23 Jan 2024 GMT+7, Hafizuddin will face two additional charges at the Shah Alam special court, while Salwani will face one additional charge at the court in Jerteh, Terengganu state, on 26 Jan 2024 GMT+7.
In addition to the former Army Chief’s case, the MACC plans to file further charges against Nizam Jaffar, a former Chief of Defence Forces, for criminal offenses including breach of trust and bribery this Friday. Nizam recently took early leave this year ahead of his scheduled retirement in August.
Currently, the MACC has frozen assets including cash, gold, and luxury goods valued at over 52 million ringgit (approximately 403 million baht) from more than 80 bank accounts linked to military procurement corruption cases. Authorities have arrested 23 suspects, including military officers and civilians.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has emphasized the importance of reforming the security sector, stating that the military has long been a place of "embezzlement" and "theft." He highlighted that corruption is not merely a financial issue but a direct threat to national security.
The government recently announced a suspension of all procurement activities connected to the MACC investigation and is set to review all approved contracts to restore confidence and establish transparency standards within the Malaysian military.
."tags":[]Source: CNA