PUTRAJAYA, July 11 — A senior immigration officer and two businessmen from a foreign worker recruitment agency, all three having the title of "Datuk", were among seven people nabbed by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for corruption involving the issuance visas for foreign workers.
ACA investigations division director Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull said the seven, aged between 35 and 64 years, were detained in a special operation in the Klang Valley over the last three days.
"They are now being held under remand to facilitate investigations. We also seized almost RM500,000 from the suspects in the operation," he told a press conference at the ACA's headquarters here today.
He said their arrests were made possible through information from the public. Mohd Shukri said among those arrested was a "runner" for the recruitment agency.
Mohd Shukri said among those arrested was a "runner" for the employment agency.
According to him, the ACA was also trying to determine if any other foreign worker recruitment agencies were involved in the scam.
Bernama learnt that the senior immigration officer, aged 55, was nabbed at his Jalan Duta home in Kuala Lumpur at 10.20pm yesterday.
The operation followed a complaint made by an agent involved in foreign worker recruitment that a bribe of RM350 was being demanded for speedy approval of visas for each foreign worker hired.
Meanwhile, the ACA headquarters in statement sent to Bernama's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, said the Attorney-General's Department would second one of its senior officers to be the Director of the ACA's Legal and Prosecution Division.
The officer, who would be of director rank, would be responsible for administration in terms of reports to the ACA director-general.
The statement said this followed the decision by the AG's office to let the agency handle public interest cases.
Commenting on the same matter, Mohd Shukri explained it meant investigation papers would no longer be sent to the AG's Department but the presence of the director from the AG's office was necessary as powers to prosecute still lay with the Public Prosecutor. — Bernama
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