MACC ARRESTS DATUK SERI
The chairman of an engineering consulting company is believed to have played a role in preparing false claims for payment in the RM305 million project.
THE Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) has detained a Datuk Seri to assist in the probe into the Penang undersea tunnel project.
It is learnt that the man, who is chairman of an engineering consulting company involved in the project studies, was arrested at the anti-graft agency headquarters in Putrajaya, at 2.45pm yesterday.
Sources said the 62-year-old suspect was believed to be involved in the preparation of documents to make false claims for the feasibility studies of the RM305 million project for the Penang government.
It is learnt that MACC was also investigating whether other individuals were involved in the preparation of the fake documents.
The Datuk Seri is the fourth individual detained by MACC to assist in its investigations into the case.
On Tuesday, an engineering consultant was nabbed at the MACC headquarters at 6.30pm.
The woman was believed to be a senior consultant in a company responsible for the project.
MACC yesterday obtained a five-day remand order against the consultant.
The 50-year-old will be remanded until
Jan 28.
The remand order was granted by magistrate Fatina Amyra Abdul Jalil at the Putrajaya magistrate’s court.
The suspect, whose face was covered with a jacket, arrived at the court at 9.50am yesterday.
MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed the latest arrest without elaborating.
The MACC investigations into the proposed undersea tunnel project had found that several politicians may have received a cut in the approval process for the project’s studies.
Sources said the cut was believed to be of high value as a result of wrongdoing and graft by several parties involved in the process.
MACC officers have recorded statements from 76 people in the course of its investigations.
The 7.2km undersea tunnel is part of a RM6.3 billion project, undertaken by Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd, which includes three paired roads.
The project raised numerous questions in recent months, especially the high cost of its RM305 million feasibility studies, as well as the 21-month delay in its construction.