PETALING JAYA: The bank chairman arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday has been named as retired army general Abdul Aziz Zainal. According to a Bernama report, he will be remanded for seven days from today to assist in the investigation into the misappropriation of funds. Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman allowed the application by the MACC to remand the 65-year-old Tan Sri until Sept 5. Aziz, who heads the board of government-owned Bank Rakyat, was detained over alleged graft and misuse of power, in a case involving a RM15 million book project and a project to upgrade the bank’s IT system. MACC Director of Investigations Azam Baki told Bernama yesterday that Aziz was picked up at the bank’s headquarters at 1.15pm yesterday. According to Azam, a bank account belonging to Aziz, and said to have close to RM1 million in it, was also frozen as part of the investigation. “He was detained and will be questioned,” Azam told Bernama. Bernama reported yesterday that Aziz is the third individual detained from the bank in relation to a probe into the RM15 million book project. Bank Rakyat Managing Director/President Mustafha Abdul Razak was arrested last Thursday and another officer, the next day. Meanwhile, The Star reported today that a source in MACC said that other accounts and assets belonging to Aziz may also be frozen by the MACC if there was anything linking the source of the funds to money related to the projects being probed. “The commission will submit a request tomorrow morning (today) to remand the suspect,” the daily quoted the source as saying. Bank Rakyat comes under the purview of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry. Aziz replaced Mat Noor Nawi as chairman of the bank from July 15 last year. Mat Noor had served as chairman from April 28, 2014 after the tenure of his predecessor Sabaruddin Chik was not renewed by the then minister Hasan Malek.
Abdul Aziz Zainal, who heads the board of government-owned Bank Rakyat, has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of funds. Zainal, the third person to be detained in the case, has been remanded for seven days, while he is investigated for alleged graft and misuse of power. His bank account, which had almost MYR 1m ($245k) in it, has been frozen, and other assets found to have links to the case could also be frozen.