PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has foiled a syndicate believed to have hoarded 22 projects valued at RM135 million of a ministry since 2017.

The breakthrough was from MACC investigations on a division assistant secretary of the ministry concerned and a manager of a company while the owners of the company were picked up on June 21.

Investigations into the case also brought to the latest arrest, a division procurement officer of the ministry who was suspected of receiving RM150,000 bribe from the contractor who won a RM2.6 million project.

According to an MACC source, the 29-year-old man was apprehended at about 8 pm yesterday when he was giving statement at Putrajaya MACC headquarters and is now remanded for three days from today for further investigation

According to the source, the RM2.6 million project was for diving equipment supplies for an enforcement agency.

The remand order on the man was issued by Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim after MACC made the application at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court today.

"The syndicate is believed to have engaged other parties to handle the project," said the source.

On June 21, four owners of a marine engineering company were remanded, suspected of giving bribes to obtain the projects for marine engineering supplies, services and maintenance work estimated to be worth RM10 million at the enforcement agency.

The next day, the assistant secretary of the ministry was detained followed by the arrest of a company manager.

The case is being investigated under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009, the source said.

-- BERNAMA