MACC nabs tour agency boss in umrah quota syndicate probe

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) has arrested the managing director of a tour agency for suspected involvement with a syndicate manipulating the quota of umrah flight tickets.

According to an MACC source, the man, 35, was arrested at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at around 3.30pm yesterday when he came to give his statement.

The man is suspected of bribing two individuals, who were arrested by the MACC on Feb 9, in return for helping his tour agents secure umrah flight tickets. 

A mobile phone, RM160,000 in cash and several laptops were also seized during the arrest.

The source said that several accounts, including investment accounts under the names of the man’s wife, ex-wife and children, were in the process of being frozen, adding that investigations were focused on whether other officers of the company, which is the sole agent for a foreign airline, were involved in similar criminal activities.

Preliminary investigations revealed no wrongdoing by the company but the source did not discount the possibility that other individuals would be called up to aid in the investigation.

MACC special operations division senior director Tan Kang Sai confirmed the arrest, saying the managing director had been remanded for four days until Wednesday.

The case is being investigated under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009.