KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian ex-army chief and his wife were charged on Thursday with money laundering in a case stemming from a sweeping graft probe into military procurement that has also snared other top officers.

Muhammad Hafiz­uddeain Jantan, 57, and his wife Salwani Anuar, 26, pleaded not guilty over allegations linked to hundreds of thousands of dollars they allegedly rec­eived.

The Southeast Asian nation’s defence establishment has become the focus of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe, after a series of controversies alleging kick-backs for high-ranking officers.

Hafizuddeain was placed on immediate leave in December, and the MACC opened an investigation that included raids on several companies and the freezing of bank accounts linked to the pair. He retired January 1, 2026. The probe has also led to the arrest of several other top military officers.

Prosecutors say Hafizuddeain received proceeds from illicit activities totalling 2.122 million ringgit ($524,892) between February 2024 and November last year, which were paid into his bank accounts.

His wife Salwani, is accused of receiving 77,000 ringgit paid into an account belonging to a company she controlled. Both were released on bail, but ordered to surrender their passports and report to the MACC once a month while the case is pending.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026