Mahdzir quizzed by MACC for three hours

PUTRAJAYA: Talk of another Umno heavyweight Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid being taken to court to face corruption charges proved to be unfounded as the anti-graft body has yet to receive an order.

Instead, the former education minister was released after three hours of questioning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here.

He arrived at about 9.15am yesterday before leaving around 12.30pm.

It was the third time that the party vice-president was called in to assist investigations into alleged corruption.

Sources said the Padang Terap MP might only be charged next year in relation to the solar project for rural schools in Sarawak.

According to earlier reports, Mahdzir was supposed to be charged yesterday on the controversial RM1.25bil project.

So far, MACC had framed charges against two prominent people.

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, as well as her aide Datuk Rizal Mansor were charged separately on Nov 15 for corruption in relation to the case.

It has been reported that the project was awarded by the Education Ministry to a Bintulu-based car rental company Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The contract was to install solar energy panels for 369 schools in rural Sarawak.

Rosmah was charged with soliciting RM187.5mil through Rizal and allegedly received RM1.5mil in bribes.

Rizal was charged with soliciting RM212.5mil and said to have received bribes amounting to RM5.5mil on behalf of Rosmah and himself, in assisting Jepak Holdings to obtain the project.