KUALA LUMPUR: A senior officer of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) being investigated over the reported loss of US$6mil (RM25mil) that was seized from a case was detained in connection with the possession of drugs and a firearm, said the police.

       Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said the suspect was arrested on Tuesday.

       “It involved the possession of drugs and a firearm and bullets. The suspect has been remanded until Sept 25 (today),” he said in a statement.

       The suspect, a senior officer, was among three MACC personnel under investigation over the reported loss of case items.

       On Monday, MACC released a statement saying three of its officers were detained to assist in investigations into allegations of abuse of power and misconduct in a case involving a “former senior government servant who has been discharged but not acquitted by the court”.

       The commission said a thorough probe was underway.

       The three were remanded for six days from Sept 14 to 19.

       The officers are under probe over the misappropriation of US$6mil seized from former chief of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation, Datuk Hasanah Ab Hamid.

       In April, Hasanah was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the High Court for criminal breach of trust involving RM50.4mil of government funds.

       The case was withdrawn following a new development.

       The MACC statement came on the heels of reports that Hasanah had attempted to reclaim the seized money but found part of it missing and replaced with counterfeit notes.

       On another matter, Comm Abd Jalil said the spread of sexual harassment claims on social media against a celebrity preacher had hampered ongoing investigations.

       “We have opened an investigation in connection with the spread of an obscene video and message as they have disrupted our probe into the case.

       “We urge the public to respect the ongoing thorough investigation conducted by the police,” he told a press conference yesterday.

       In the video, a man resembling the preacher can be seen performing indecent acts.