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The two suspects are escorted by MACC personnel into court after the procedure. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (September 11): The pretrial detention order against the two company directors arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been extended for another two days to facilitate a further investigation into the counterfeiting charge claims on a “Jiwa Murni” rural road project worth RM800 million.
The extended pre-trial detention, which will expire this Sunday, was allowed as the MACC required more time to complete its investigation.
Initially, the two high-profile suspects, with the title of ‘Datuk’, were placed in pretrial detention for two days after their arrest in a special MACC operation here on Tuesday (September 8).
As of today, the two suspects have each added an attorney to their respective legal team.
Attorneys Shankar Ram, Lim Heng Choo and Wong King Wei represent the 44-year-old suspect, while attorneys Albert Tang, Allan Lao, Lidwina Kiew and Roger Chin represent the 42-year-old suspect.
The case is being investigated under Sections 16 (b), 17 (a) and 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries prison sentences for a period not exceeding 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum. or value of the gratification that is the object of the offense, when condemned.
The “Jiwa Murni” project program of the Ministry of Defense involved the execution of 10 rural road improvement works in Miri, Kapit, Ba’Kelalan, Limbang and Belaga.
The MACC in a statement on Tuesday said that the two directors of the company were proprietary partners of three companies that monopolized the project.
These rural roads link several small towns in Sarawak.
The project was awarded by the Ministry to the company for a tenure from 2010 to 2016.
“Our informant said that the locals had made many complaints about the poor condition of these rural roads because they were not built to specification. These rural roads located in Miri, Kapit, Ba’Kelalan, Limbang and Belaga were damaged after a few months of construction, “said MACC in its statement.
According to the technical investigation, the works carried out were not in accordance with the standard of the Public Works Department (PWD).
These affected roads were tar sealed two inches thick from the ground surface and were also made without gravel and sand as per contract specifications, which could easily be damaged by lumber trucks and, when in poor condition, cannot be used by little ones. vehicles to access villages in rural areas, MACC alleged.
MACC, citing the informant, said that the state government had instructed the state PWD to take over the management of the highway repair works, but this would double the cost.
However, one of the four contractors designated by the state PWD to take over the project was a company owned by the two suspects, MACC said.
The right thing to do was to blacklist the suspects’ companies, he insisted.
MACC Deputy Commissioner Director (Operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, who confirmed the case, said the commission had investigated the case in collaboration with the Defense Ministry after its internal audit division pointed out the project’s flaws.
On Wednesday night, the MACC also arrested a lawyer in its investigation into the falsified claims of the rural highway project, but Magistrate Zubaidah Sharkawi released the 44-year-old lawyer unconditionally as MACC failed to convince the court of that he had sufficient evidence to link him to the case by requesting a seven-day pretrial detention order against him.
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