{
  "id": 2171237,
  "title": "Ex-native affairs officer, civil servant among four held over RM900,000 land sale bribery",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/ex-native-affairs-officer-civil-servant-among-four-held-over-rm900",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T16:12:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/08/1515599/ex-native-affairs-officer-civil-servant-among-four-held-over-rm900000"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KENINGAU: Four individuals, comprising a former native affairs officer and three civil servants, have been remanded for seven days to aid the investigation of a land sale syndicate involving approximately RM900,000 in bribes. This remand order, issued by magistrate Flavian Edward Henry at the magistrate's court in Keningau, will remain in effect until August 27 following an application by the Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). According to a source, the former native affairs officer and civil servants are suspected of accepting bribes from two land brokers to facilitate the land sale transaction last year. However, preliminary investigations revealed that the land in question was owned by an unrelated party and had never been put up for sale, according to the source. All four male suspects, aged between their 30s and 60s, were apprehended between 4pm and 8pm on August 19 when they arrived at the MACC Keningau office to provide statements. Datuk Mohd Fuad Bee Basrah, the Director of MACC Sabah, confirmed the arrests to further the investigation when contacted. The case is under investigation for violations of Sections 17 and 18 of the MACC Act 2009.",
  "summary": "KENINGAU: Four people, including a former native affairs officer and a civil servant, have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations into a land sale syndicate involving about RM900,000 in bribes.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former native affairs officer and three civil servants arrested",
    "Suspected of accepting RM900,000 in bribes for land sale",
    "Investigation ongoing under MACC Act 2009 Sections 17 and 18"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}