Malaysian authorities have detained a former army chief and his two wives over alleged involvement in a cartel linked to military procurement contracts, state news agency Bernama reported on Thursday.
A magistrate ordered former army chief Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan to be remanded for seven days, while one of his wives will be held for six days and the other for three, Bernama said.
The trio were arrested on Jan. 7 by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which has also detained 17 company directors suspected of rigging army procurement tenders. The MACC said it seized 2.4 million ringgit ($759,157) in cash during an attempted transfer the same day, which it believes is linked to bribery involving the contracts.
The anti-graft agency said earlier this week it is investigating 26 companies suspected of involvement in the corruption scheme.
