SWD director and deputy suspended

> Notices issued to duo involved in nation’s biggest graft scandal

PETALING JAYA: The director and deputy director of the Sabah Water Department (SWD) have been suspended from duty since the date of their arrest following their involvement in a multi-million ringgit graft scandal, the biggest the nation has seen to date.

Sabah State Secretary Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman confirmed that notices of suspension for both have been issued by the State Public Service Commission.

“The suspension of the director and deputy director is effective Oct 5 and Oct 4 respectively, the dates when the suspects were arrested,” he said in a statement.

He said under the suspension, both suspects were prohibited from entering SWD offices or the premises of any water department in Sabah.

“The suspects are also not allowed to leave the state during the period of the investigation,” he said.

They are also ordered to report to the Sabah MACC every month.

The director and his deputy are alleged to have taken kickbacks and being engaged in money laundering activities involving federal projects worth RM3.3 billion.

It was reported earlier that the director had yet to receive a suspension order and as such, would return to work after he posted bail of RM500,000 in two sureties.

Meanwhile, a former SWD deputy director who was detained by MACC last week over the scandal was yesterday released on a RM500,000 bail.

The order for the release of the Sabah Finance Ministry’s technical and engineering adviser was made by magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie following an application by MACC.

The 62-year-old former deputy director was appointed an adviser at the ministry following his retirement last year.

He was detained on Oct 14 and ordered to be remanded for six days to facilitate investigations into the SWD graft case.

The remand order expired yesterday. – Bernama