GEORGE TOWN – The High Court will hear a review next Tuesday (December 10) on the six-day remand imposed on former Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) chief executive and executive director Datuk M. Ramachandran, who is under investigation for alleged graft by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Ramachandran’s lawyer, R. Roshunraj, confirmed that the High Court had accepted his application for a revision of the magistrate’s decision. The matter will be heard by Justice Rofiah Mohamad.
“The judge was not available today as she is on leave. (Therefore) they (court) are only going to hear it (review) on Monday,” Roshunraj told Scoop.
He explained that the application for the remand revision was submitted alongside a certificate of urgency to expedite the hearing date.
According to Roshunraj, the request for revision was made due to concerns over his client’s health, as Ramachandran suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and allergic rhinitis, all of which require specialised medication.
“The excessive nature of the remand period imposed is another reason for our application. He has been cooperating with MACC officers at all times and ought to have been released on bail pending investigations,” Roshunraj added.
Allegations of graft
The MACC had detained Ramachandran under Section 23 of the MACC Act as part of an investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds related to the Thaipusam golden chariot project.
Magistrate Siti Nurul Suhaila Baharin approved a six-day remand order, though the anti-graft agency had initially sought a seven-day remand.
Preliminary investigations by the MACC alleged that Ramachandran, along with a former deputy chief minister who also served as the PHEB chairman, misappropriated RM300,000 from the board’s special allocations account in 2019 for the procurement of the golden chariot.
Additionally, the MACC claimed that the former deputy chief minister abused his position in 2020 by approving RM50,000 in medical aid for an individual believed to be his associate.
While the deputy chief minister was not named in the MACC’s statement, P. Ramasamy held the position and was PHEB chairman at the time.
When contacted by Scoop, Ramasamy declined to comment on the allegations but reportedly denied any wrongdoing. He confirmed he had given a statement to the MACC after being barred from flying to Aceh yesterday to receive a peace award from the Wali Nanggroe of Aceh.
The MACC has imposed travel bans on both Ramachandran and Ramasamy until the investigation concludes. – December 6, 2024