S’wak officials nabbed over RM2mil job that was not carried out

PETALING JAYA: Two officials of the Sarawak Housing Development Corp have been nabbed by the anti- graft body over a housing rehabilitation project in Miri worth over RM2mil which was not carried out.

The two officials are an engi- neer, 39, and senior technician, 59.

A company manager, 49, who was handling the project which was tendered out in April 2015, was also arrested.

All three were picked up between noon and 1.20pm in a sting operation yesterday to assist investigations on the project.

It is learnt the tender involved the refurbishment of 12 units of two-storey flats in Miri which were destroyed in a fire that year.

The project, however, was not carried out by the appointed contractor.

“Investigations showed that after a fire broke out in the flats, the corporation called for tenders on the renovation job.

“Some 10 applications were received before one of the compa- nies got the RM2mil contract,” said a source.

Subsequently, a sub-contractor was appointed to carry out the work on the damaged blocks.

Last year, an invoice for RM11,969 was submitted to the corporation for reimbursement of work done.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers also found that the corporation had issued a “job done” note in November 2015 to support the release of payment.

It is learnt the MACC started the probe following the recent release of the Auditor-General’s Report 2016.

MACC director of investigations Datuk Simi Abd Ghani confirmed the arrests. All three suspects will be remanded in Miri today.