KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — A general manager of a Prasarana firm in charge of overseeing technical support for a bus complex here has been detained for allegedly taking half a million ringgit for personal gain.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director of investigations Datuk Simi Abdul Ghani said the 54-year-old man’s wife, 50, was also brought in at 6.30pm yesterday to assist in the investigation.

"Investigations showed the suspect had pocketed the sum since 2013 while overseeing the company and projects under his charge,” a source told The Star.

"Checks also revealed the questionable sum was deposited into his wife’s account,” the source was quoted as saying.

Based on records, the news report said the suspect was a former chief operations officer of Rapid Penang, another Prasarana subsidiary. Prasarana is a public transportation provider.

The report said the case was being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine that is five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, or whichever that is higher.

Section 17(a) is on the receipt of bribes as an inducement for performing or not performing a task.