Zakat Penang to decide on fate of 2 officers linked to graft case

GEORGE TOWN: The fate of two of the four Zakat Penang officers allegedly linked to a graft conspiracy remains undetermined.

This was after the two, with another two from the agency, were released on bail two days ago.

Zakat Penang chairman Datuk Mohd Salleh Man, when asked if the two would resume their duties after they were released, said a meeting would be held soon to decide on the matter.

Salleh had said the arrested officers would be suspended only when they were charged.

The four officers, aged between 30 and 50, and the other eight contractors, aged between 41 and 52, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last week in connection with a graft case.

The officers had allegedly received valuable items, cheques, and cash from the contractors as incentives to give them projects or work-related programmes.

The chief executive officer of Zakat Penang had allegedly given education aid and scholarships to his child without going through the Penang Islamic Affairs Department.

A MACC spokesman said four of the eight contractors were released on Saturday with RM5,000 MACC bond each, while the two Zakat Penang officers were released on RM10,000 MACC bond yesterday. He said the remaining detainees could be released on bail today.

In Putrajaya, a Tenaga Nasional Berhad project manager and a renovation contractor, who were remanded for five days by MACC to facilitate investigations into alleged corruption, were released on bail yesterday.

Magistrate Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Ab Rahman allowed the suspects to be released on bail of RM20,000 with one surety each at the magistrate’s court here.

The project manager had allegedly accepted bribes from the contractor for a renovation project in Kuala Lumpur in 2014. He had allegedly accepted a BMW 5 Series car in exchange for the project.