MACC detains director, wife and 2 others

KUALA LUMPUR: A director of a government agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and his wife were among four people detained yesterday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over power abuse and corruption involving millions of ringgit.
Sources revealed that the 54-year-old director had allegedly granted projects to contractors he favoured for miscellaneous supplies for his agency.
In order to keep the contractors in business for future projects, he allegedly demanded and took kickbacks from them.
Investigators also learnt that the contractors had also formed several other companies which were used when submitting quotations for tenders.
This, sources said was a ploy used by the suspects in confusing a committee that picked the award of such projects.
The Selangor MACC arrested the director yesterday at a hotel in Bagan Lalang, Sepang at 12pm.
His 36-year-old wife who is an administration assistant in the same government agency was detained at her office while two contractors linked to dealings with the director were held at Shah Alam and Alor Star, Kedah soon after.
Sources said investigators are compiling information on the projects the director had approved and awarded to his cronies and the kickbacks involved.
Selangor MACC director Datuk Wan Ramli Wan Abdullah who confirmed the arrests said a remand order will be sought to further detain all four suspects today.
Last month, a senior official of the federal Rural and Regional Development Ministry, who is a Datuk, and two of his family members were detained over alleged corruption involving tens of millions of ringgit.
The MACC uncovered and seized cash and other luxury items amounting to millions of ringgit from the official following a raid at his house in Subang Jaya.