PETALING JAYA: The anti-graft agency has deepened its probe on the alleged misappropriation of funds under the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) with the arrest of 16 company directors to help in the probe.

       The suspects aged between 24 and 68 were arrested around the Klang Valley on Monday.

       They were brought before the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court yesterday and have been remanded for two to seven days.

       MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed the arrest.The case is being investigated under Section 16 (a) and Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

       On Oct 15, the MACC said it had opened an investigation paper on allegations of the misuse of funds under Mitra.

       The anti-graft agency said it was looking at various angles including the approval process and how the individual associations or companies which received the funds spent the money, to identify any form of corruption and abuse of power.

       According to sources, it is estimated that tens of millions of ringgit for Mitra to implement socio-economic programmes for the Malaysian Indian community had been misused.

       Sources said the investigation covers all forms of applications and grant allocations that have been channelled by Mitra since 2018.