Two factory bosses held by MACC

GEORGE TOWN: A manager and his director son of the Kampung Sungai Lembu factory being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were detained yesterday evening.

The 70-year-old man and his 37-year-old son were detained at about 6.45pm when they turned up at the state MACC headquarters in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah to have their statements recorded as part of the probe.

Earlier in the day, state Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh was detained after he went to the MACC office to record his statement.

Phee’s office on the 53rd floor of Komtar was also raided by MACC officers.

It is learnt that the investigations were related the numerous complaints lodged at Seberang Prai Municipal Council over the illegal factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam in which no action was taken. On Thursday, MACC officers seized documents related to the factory from the Council.

The MACC and several enforcement agencies also carried out raids at the factory on Thursday.

The carbon filter-processing factory has been operating on agricultural land inside an oil palm estate for more than 10 years.

The operations over the illegal factory also involved officers from the Immigration Department, Department of Environment (DOE) and Inland Revenue Board (IRB).