Cooperative chairman in Kedah remanded for six days over false claims

ALOR SETAR: The chairman of a cooperative in Kedah has been remanded for six days for investigation over alleged false claims in a RM20.3 million dairy cattle farming project in the state in 2015.

The remand order against the 57-year-old man was issued by Alor Setar Magistrate Muhammad Zul Hilmi Latif today following an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

According to an MACC source, the man was arrested about 3 pm yesterday at the Kedah MACC office in connection with allegations that several companies had conspired to submit false claims for payment incentives for the project in 2015.

"The dairy cattle farming project under the Dairy Cluster Entry Point Project 13 (EPP 13) of Economic Transformation Programme is worth RM20.3 million, and false claims were made to the Veterinary Services Department although no deliveries were made," said the source.

Kedah MACC director Datuk Shaharom Nizam Abd Manap, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed the arrest and said the case was being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

On Jan 11, a 51-year-old company director and a 52-year-old company owner were remanded for four days in connection with the same case.

-- BERNAMA