Remand request for duo in railway project probe rejected

KOTA KINABALU: Graft investigators rearrested two Sabah Railway Department staff, including its acting deputy director, a few hours after they were released on bail following the expiry of a 10-day remand.

However, an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to have them remanded for five days in connection with a different case involving projects worth RM52mil was rejected by magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie yesterday.

A surprised MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Faliq Basirudin said he would discuss the next course of action with his superiors.

He said the remand was sought for a different case from the one they were arrested for earlier.

The 58-year-old acting deputy director, who is also chief engineer of the state railways, and the 39-year-old engineer were represented by counsel Sugumar Balakrishnan and Edward Paul during the application for remand in chambers.

It is learnt that the two were rearrested Wednesday afternoon at the MACC office here when they turned up to sort out their bail.

They were among four people, including a 42-year-old contractor, who were released after their 10-day remand expired.

Another contractor, 60, who was arrested on Jan 27, had his remand extended by three days.

Two more state government engineers were arrested on Tuesday and have been remanded for five days.

A total of seven people have been detained so far in connection with investigations into allegedly non-existent maintenance and emergency projects carried out between 2012 and last year.

Graft investigators said they have frozen RM5.3mil in bank accounts from four of the individuals and seized RM1.6mil cash from another.

A caveat has been obtained on at least six houses worth RM2.7mil that the suspects or their family members bought in Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Johor, the sources said.