Two more remanded in connection with highway project bribery case

KUALA LUMPUR: Two directors of a sub-contractor company were the latest individuals to be remanded by graft busters in connection with bribes involved in a highway construction project in the Klang Valley worth more than RM1bil.

Sources said the suspects—a man and woman in their 50s—were detained between 5pm and 7pm on Tuesday (July 2) after their statements were taken at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters.

Both suspects were then brought to Putrajaya Magistrate's Court, where Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin issued a five-day remand order until Sunday (July 7) following an application by the MACC.

"Both suspects are directors from the same company, and they are suspects of handing out bribes to officers of a statutory body as an inducement to be awarded works over the construction of the highway, which was previously done by another company," a source said.

Meanwhile, MACC senior investigation director Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim confirmed the arrests and said the case is classified under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009.

It was previously reported that a chairman and director of a subcontractor company were detained at the MACC headquarters between 9pm Monday (July 1) and 12am Tuesday (July 2) over the same case.

The chairman, who has a Datuk title, was remanded until July 6, while the director was remanded until July 4.

MACC detained a highway concessionaire's chief executive officer and two senior managers on June 25.

Graft investigators also arrested five others on the same day and another suspect on June 26.

On June 28, a principal assistant director of a statutory body was remanded 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.

Highway concessionaire Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas) confirmed that MACC has detained its personnel and that the company will fully cooperate in facilitating the investigation.