KUALA LUMPUR: Three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers were detained to assist investigations into allegations of abuse of power and malpractice in a case involving a former senior government servant who has been discharged but not acquitted by the court.

       The commission said it would not compromise or protect any of its personnel who were involved in crime and would take appropriate action if it was proven.

       It added that all three officers were brought to the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court and remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for six days from Sept 14 to 19.

       “A thorough investigation is underway and we hope that all parties will not speculate on this matter as it would affect investigations,” the MACC said in a statement yesterday.

       The said accused, who was discharged not amounting to an acquittal by the court early this year, was investigated by the MACC in 2018 and was formerly a department head in a government agency.

       Meanwhile, Bukit Aman has not received any police report of an alleged US$6mil (RM25mil) theft involving the person who was previously investigated by the MACC.

       Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said he was aware that the viral news also claimed that three MACC officers were remanded for the theft.

       “We have not received any police report pertaining to the alleged incident.

       “We advise the public to be responsible social media users and avoid spreading unverified news or information,” he said in a statement.

       Stern action will be taken against those spreading fake news, he added.

       A report in a blog about the remand and the alleged theft went viral on social media.

       The blog also claimed that the said victim demanded for the seized cash to be returned.

       However, the blog claimed that only some of the cash was still available while the remaining were purportedly counterfeit notes.