MACC probe: Remand of MD, lawyer extended five days
PUTRAJAYA: The Magistrate’s Court yesterday allowed an application to extend by five days the remand of two men, including a managing director of a Bintulu- based company over investigations into misappropriation of solar hybrid project contract for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim allowed the application by the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) to extend the remand of the 59-year- old managing director and the 30year- old lawyer.
Clad in MACC lock-up uniforms and handcuffed, the duo arrived at the court at 9.30am.
The case is being investigated under Section 18 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 for making false claims. To date, three individuals have been remanded by the MACC to facilitate investigations into the case.
The men had been remanded for six days following their arrest on June 26 after having their statements recorded at the MACC headquarters. On June 29, the company’s 39-year- old director was remanded for five days to facilitate investigations into the same case.
In early June, an online portal reported the possibility of misappropriation in the awarding of a contract for the solar hybrid projects in Sarawak worth RM2.5 billion, which was allegedly awarded directly under the directive of a former Malaysian leader.
The leader had also allegedly instructed the Education Ministry in January last year to appoint a car rental company in Bintulu to undertake the project in installing solar panels at 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
On June 11, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the ministry had begun conducting an internal investigation to identify individuals involved in misappropriation of contract award for the supply of solar energy and diesel to 369 schools in Sarawak.
Some 369 schools in Sarawak are without fixed electricity supply and are only using diesel generators for electricity supply.
Prior to 2017, diesel was supplied to schools by contractors on a contract basis.
From Jan 1, 2017, Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, which was originally one of the contractors involved, was granted the contract to supply electricity to all 369 schools for a period of three years until Dec 31, 2019 with a contract value of ‘over RM1 billion’ inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST .
Apart from supplying diesel to the rural schools in Sarawak, the company was also involved in the installation of solar hybrid systems and maintenance of generators in the 369 schools. — Bernama