PETALING JAYA: Four Datuks who held top positions in a Telekom Malaysia cooperative have been detained for suspected graft, along with two others.

They include the cooperative’s chairman, secretary, treasurer and a board member.

Also detained were the wife of another cooperative member as well as a businessman who is the main vendor to the cooperative.

All six suspects, aged between 44 and 66, were picked up from several areas around the Klang Valley from 8am yesterday.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the arrests.

Azam said the suspects would be held overnight in Putrajaya and remanded today to assist in the probe.

Sources said the suspects were believed to have abused their positions for personal gain.

“We believe they are involved in several dubious dealings, resulting in many cooperative members suffering undue losses.

“Investigations show that the suspects worked discreetly with a supplier to buy daily necessities in bulk using money from the cooperative.

“The goods were then ‘sold’ back to the same supplier, and these transactions were carried out on paper only,” said a source.

It is learnt that members who wanted to make purchases had to borrow from the cooperative first before the goods were delivered.

“The supplier would charge a higher price for the goods, and part of the profits were channelled back to the suspects,” said the source.

“Checks also showed the suspects abused their power by registering borrowers from the cooperative under a multi-level marketing company.”