KOTA KINABALU: Accusations of corruption involving a senior government official are "baseless" and aimed at defaming the officer, says a state Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry official.
The ministry's public relations secretary, Amos Thien Tze Tin, said the accusation indirectly affects the state government negatively as well.
He said that the Sabah government had taken note of accusations against a senior government official and added that the ministry had fully cooperated with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in investigating the complaint.
He urged the public not to believe and spread accusations as the matter is still under investigation.
On Saturday (Mar 9), State Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe said that he was unaware of a probe by graft investigators into contracts and entrepreneur grants under the ministry.
He said he would leave the matter to the MACC.
Earlier, a blog claimed that senior civil servants were being investigated over the alleged conflict of interest in the issuance of contracts for Small Medium Enterprises (SME) into the issuance of grants.
It had also claimed that the MACC had raided the state ministry’s office and seized documents.
