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PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a deputy director general of the Department of the Navy for a shipping scandal involving the issuance of special approvals, says a source familiar with the matter.
The deputy director general was arrested yesterday at the MACC headquarters after giving a statement to the authorities.
Four others, a division secretary of the Ministry of Transport and three directors of different shipping companies, were also arrested.
The suspects are between 35 and 54 years old.
According to the source, the two senior officials allegedly abused their power by granting special approvals to various shipping companies to transport heavy crude in Malaysian waters without approval from the Minister of Transport.
“Even the director general of the Department of the Navy did not know that the approvals were issued when he himself had issued letters prohibiting the use of single and double bottom hull vessels for the transport of heavy oil in Malaysian waters.”
These special approvals, the source said, had led to complaints from other shipping operators who had already switched to double-hull, double-bottom vessels.
“The use of double hull and double bottom vessels for the transport of heavy hydrocarbons conforms to international standards to prevent contamination as a result of oil spills and leaks”
The source added that the case is being investigated under Section 17 of the MACC Act.
MACC Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the arrests but declined to comment further.
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