Six-day remand for company director in Penang tunnel graft probe

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has obtained a six-day remand order against a senior executive director of the Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to assist in investigations into the proposed RM6.3 billion Penang Undersea Tunnel project.
Magistrate Fatima Amyra Abdul Jalil granted the remand against the 59-year-old Datuk to be held by the MACC until Jan 16.
The suspect had arrived at the Palace of Justice at 9.45am, today.
It is learnt he had been detained at the MACC's headquarters at 8.45pm on Tuesday.
The controversial project seems to be in trouble now after the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) raided the offices of the companies and consultants involved in the project on Tuesday leading to two company directors being detained.
The other company director, also a Datuk, is expected to be remanded at the Penang magistrate's court.
Earlier, a MACC spokesperson said the raids on Monday was made on the basis of new material submitted to them about irregularities in the proposed 7.2km long project.
Penang government officials have denied any knowledge about the raid.
The controversial undersea tunnel was designed to alleviate the worsening traffic congestions in Penang but it has been met with a sharp rebuke from civil society and Federal officials here over the costs and impact on the coastal environment.
The ambitious infrastructure venture was to be undertaken by a consortium of companies under the leadeship of the Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd.
But since the project was awarded in 2013, nothing major has unfolded.
Besides the tunnel, the project also involved three paired roads on the island linking the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway to Air Itam, Gurney Drive and Batu Ferringhi.
Parti Cinta Malaysia's vice-president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan had submitted evidence of alleged irregularities related to the tunnel project at the MACC headquarters last week.