Magistrate extends remand order of three Prolintas staff

PUTRAJAYA: The remand order for the chief executive officer and two senior management of a highway concessionaire has been extended as graft investigators deepen their probe into allegations of corruption involving the construction of two highways worth RM1.6bil in the Klang Valley.

The three, along with another individual, will remain in the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) until July 2 after Magistrate Nazira Adlin Ahmad Khairul Razi allowed the extension after their first remand order ended yesterday.

On Tuesday, MACC arrested the three highway concessionaire senior officials over the case.

Sources said that investigations so far showed that they were believed to have accepted bribes from companies taking over construction works of two highways, worth RM1bil and RM670mil respectively.

Graft investigators also arrested five others on the same day and another suspect on Wednesday.

Highway concessionaire Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas) confirmed that its personnel have been remanded by MACC and that the company would give its full cooperation in facilitating the investigation.

Yesterday, Magistrate Nazira Adlin also allowed an application by graft investigators to remand a principal assistant director of a statutory body for four days until July 1 for allegedly accepting bribes of about RM146,000 from a company as an inducement to be awarded works for a highway project in the Klang Valley.

This latest arrest brings the number of individuals remanded in the special ops, codenamed Ops Lintas, to 10.

On Wednesday, MACC also remanded a suspect, who is in his 40s, for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes from several companies as a reward for appointing them to take over works to complete a highway project, a job that was previously given to another company.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the remand of the principal assistant director and the remand extensions.