Monthly bribes: Ministry division director among three held

PUTRAJAYA: Three individuals, including a division director of a ministry with the title of Datuk, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on suspicion of receiving large sums of bribes on a monthly basis.

According to a MACC source, the division director along with a project consultant and a director of a construction company, all of whom are in their 40s, were arrested at the MACC headquarters here between 11 am and 9 pm yesterday when they came in to give their statements.

The source said the trio are suspected of receiving bribes on a monthly basis from contractors who got projects from the ministry involved.

"The bribes were payments from the contractors who had been appointed by the ministry involved in return for speeding up the claim payment process, helping to approve Variation Orders and Extension of Time for the projects," said the source, adding that the division director is also believed to have received bribes in the form of luxury goods for personal use.

The division director is now on remand for seven days starting today after Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin allowed the remand application made by MACC at the Magistrate's Court here today, while the other two individuals were remanded for three days also starting today.

MACC Investigation Division senior director Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, who confirmed the arrests, said the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA