KOTA KINABALU, Oct 24 — Another engineer from the Sabah Water Department was nabbed by investigators from the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission today, bringing the total of those arrested in the second sweep under the massive graft case to 23 people.
A source in the investigations told Malay Mail Online that the suspect was picked up at 6.40pm yesterday but only brought to the magistrate court in Tawau to be remanded today.
Magistrate court judge Muhammad Faizal Che Saad allowed a five-day remand for the MACC to investigate him under their custody.
Last week, the MACC arrested 19 district and division engineers on one day and another three technicians on a separate occasion in a massive operation looking into the misappropriation of funds in the state utility department.
Out of the 22, five were released today on MACC bond amounting to RM50,000 each. 18 are still being held under custody.
So far, the anti graft commission has also seized RM8.4 million in cash from the 23 suspects in the seconds phase of the operations, dubbed Ops Water.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki confirmed the arrest and those remaining in custody.
On October 5, the MACC obtained court remands for four individuals — the director, deputy director, the latter’s “Datuk” brother, and his accountant — to facilitate investigations into the misappropriation of some RM3.3 billion federal infrastructure projects in the state.
The MACC later also arrested the former deputy director of the department who is currently serving as a technical advisor to the Sabah Finance Ministry. All five have been released on bail.
The case has so far recovered more than RM190 million in cash, bank accounts, property, cars and valuables and seen more than 90 people called to give their statements. No one has been officially charged in court yet.
