Lipstick and Kalashnikovs: Women in the Russian Armed Services

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/photo/20150223/1018...l#ixzz3SdT4KseN

MMEA receives its first Bay Class patrol vessel from the Australian government today


MMEA's Kapal Maritim Perwira, a gift from the Australian government, docked in Port Klang. - AFP

MACC nets 5 ‘super rich’ Navy officers

IPOH, March 11 — They were middle-rank Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel but the lifestyles they were leading seemed to be that of those with high-paying jobs.

The officers were not afraid of spending money on anything they wanted and did not flinch at the thought of being discovered with huge sums of cash, sources said.

The sources said it was this uncontrolled lust for self-gratification that finally led to their undoing.

On Monday evening, five RMN staff, including a female officer, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in and around the naval base in Lumut.

They are being investigated for alleged corrupt practices involving naval procurement.

Nine civilians including a woman were also held the same evening. They were officials of companies supplying items to the navy.

The suspects, in their 20s to 50s, were picked up following intelligence reports they were involved in fixing procurement details.

The five navy staff, stationed at the naval dock in Lumut are believed to be staff from the procurement section.

Malay Mail learnt the five had been leading an opulent life and their illegal transactions amounted to millions.

A source familiar with the case said: “There are thousands of transactions handled by the navy’s dock procurement section everyday and the transactions are huge.

“The suspects were operating like a syndicate. The five navy suspects were earning their cuts by working with the civilian suspects.”

It is learnt the kickbacks received by the navy suspects were in the form of cash and account transfers.

“They were living a lavish lifestyle, spending heavily on personal items and assets,” said the source.

He said the MACC had obtained a remand order for the suspects as the commission feared documents on dealings and transactions would either be destroyed or hidden by the suspects or their accomplices.

The MACC, he said, needed to act fast to obtain statements from them.

Malay Mail understands the syndicate operated on “several levels” and investigators were probing if other officers, including high-ranking personnel, also had a hand in these dealings.

A seven-day remand order for the 14 was obtained from the Ipoh magistrate’s court yesterday and they will be remanded until next Monday.

A senior MACC officer confirmed the arrest, saying more are expected to be nabbed soon.

“The investigation into the navy procurement irregularities involves millions of ringgit,” he said.

“We will issue a statement on the case in the next few days.”

Malay Mail learnt that the male suspects are being detained for questioning at various police lock-ups around the city while the two women suspects will be remanded at the Perak MACC lock-up.

The navy personnel will be investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for accepting bribe while the civilians will be investigated under Section 17(b) of the same Act for giving bribe.

The swoop against the navy personnel comes in the wake of the crackdown by MACC late last year against the officers from the  Royal Malaysian Customs last year over liquor and cigarette smuggling that cost the government billions in lost taxes.

The MACC had also recently picked up 26 officers near the Malaysia-Thailand border for alleged links with petrol and diesel smugglers in Durian Burung, Kedah.

Last week, anti-graft busters also arrested the chief executive officer of a Felda subsidiary over the purchase of a RM40 million hotel in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan.

A businessman, in his 40s, who acted as the middleman was also arrested last week.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia...n.purT1Rpo.dpuf