Non-functional wells: Four suspects in Kota Baru remanded three days by MACC

KOTA BARU: Four suspects who were detained to assist investigations into the Telaga Jejari (Horizontal Collector Well) Construction Project that could not function effectively to supply water to residents in Kelantan, have been remanded for three days starting Thursday (May 16).

The remand order was issued by Chief Magistrate Imran Hamid after an application was made by the MACC at a Kota Baru Magistrate’s Court here Thursday.

According to a source, all the male suspects aged between 40 and 60 were remanded to assist in the investigation regarding the construction of tube wells that failed to function in drawing raw ground water to the water treatment plant involving projects worth more than RM300mil.

Sources said all the suspects were arrested by MACC at several different locations around Kota Baru between 7am and 10am on Wednesday (May 15).

"These wells by right should work to supply sufficient water to the population, but preliminary investigations found that these wells could not produce an optimal amount of water,” said the source.

The source said this is likely to be due to corruption and malpractices in the implementation of these wells construction projects.

Meanwhile, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, when contacted, confirmed the arrest of all the suspects and said the case was investigated under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009.

On Thursday, the Kelantan government said it will give full cooperation to the MACC regarding the case of corruption and inept construction of radial wells that do not work to supply water to the population.

Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Fadzli Hassan is reported to have said that the Kelantan government will not interfere with the ongoing investigation process. - Bernama