MACC wrapping up ‘Ops Water’

KUALA LUMPUR: “Ops Water”, the biggest graft bust in the country by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) which started about two months ago, is in its final stages.

The bust saw almost RM115 million seized from a top official of the Sabah Water Department (SWD) and others involved.

For over a month, an MACC team comprising 137 personnel, had been checking 12 tonnes of files and documents that included 8,000 payment vouchers and invoices issued by Sabah state government departments between 2008 and this year.

The documents were recovered from 30 districts in Sabah including Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu.

MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki said yesterday statements were recorded from over 200 witnesses, with 28 people arrested.

They were the SWD director, two deputy directors, 23 engineers and technicians and two civilians.

He said the probe was in the final phase of investigations and the findings are expected to be submitted to the AttorneyGeneral’s Chambers soon.

During its probe, the commission had seized RM52.2 million in cash, the biggest haul in the history of graft-busting since MACC was formed 49 years ago.

The detained officials had allegedly received tens of millions of ringgit in kickbacks from awarding government contracts for infrastructure work worth RM3.3 billion to their family members and proxies.

Both the SWD officials were suspended from their positions. Engineer Wilis@Mojiron Ansoi, 58, who was a deputy director at SWD, was appointed as the department’s new director.