Another senior court official held for alleged graft

KUALA LUMPUR: A second senior official of the Perak syariah court has been arrested for alleged graft in just three weeks.

The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) detained the 38-year-old man at 11.45am yesterday after he was summoned to the Perak state ACA office. It is learnt that the official had allegedly demanded and accepted bribes totalling about RM4,000 to settle a khalwat (close proximity) case.

ACA director-general Datuk Ahmad Said Hamdan confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate as investigations are still under way. On Sept 6, another senior Perak syariah court official was arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes to expedite the settlement of a case involving a VIP.

He was arrested at his office by ACA officers following complaints from the public.

Sources said the complainant in the second case contacted the ACA after the official said he could drop the case for a fee. He allegedly asked the victim to deposit the money in his bank account, which the victim did after lodging a report with the ACA.