KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — A businessman has been nabbed for allegedly receiving RM19 million in return for helping to stop investigations into Penang's RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel project, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said today.
The businessman, aged 37, is alleged to have received payment in stages between July and August last year.
The suspect is believed to have been paid by the project's main construction company on the belief that the suspect could help resolve the MACC probe, an MACC statement citing a source said.
"MACC carried out investigations on the study of the mega project in Penang and the suspect may have convinced the main construction company that the suspect was able to close and resolve the investigations carried out by the MACC," the source said.
The source said the first payment was RM2 million last July at the suspect's house, while the second payment of RM15 million was to a company in the same month and the third and final payment was in August.
The suspect was detained this afternoon at the MACC's Putrajaya headquarters and is expected to be brought to the Putrajaya court to be remanded for further investigation.
MACC Investigation Department senior director Datuk Simi Abd Ghani confirmed the arrest,and said the investigation team is still in the process of collecting evidence to assist investigations.
