Woman engineering consultant held by MACC over Penang undersea tunnel probe

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a senior engineering consultant today for allegedly having a hand in falsifying documents in the design and feasibility study of the Penang undersea tunnel project estimated to cost RM305 million.
Sources said the 50-year-old woman, who is attached to a company which is undertaking the project, was detained at 6.10pm when she showed up at the MACC headquarters here, after being summoned for questioning.
Investigators believe the woman was allegedly involved in raising false documents for claims related to the design study of the project.
Sources also said investigators are trying to identify other individuals who might have colluded in the falsification of documents.
This latest arrest brings the total number of those held to three.
Over the past two weeks, a chairman and vice chairman of a company were held and spent 10 days in remand for investigations.
Both were freed on Saturday after each made paid RM200,000 in bail.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Azam Baki when contacted confirmed the arrest but declined further comment.
Investigators believe that the estimated cost of the study for the project was multiplied by about five times its actual cost, indicating the possibility of embezzlement.
Sources said preliminary findings also showed that there were certain individuals who had received a share of the RM305 million pie.
More than 75 people have been called up for questioning since the probe was initiated and investigators have visited over 40 places to gather evidence in Penang and the Klang Valley.