‘Datuk allegedly made RM500,000 in e-passport project’
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has frozen the bank accounts of the Datuk, his wife and children containing RM1 million in savings.
PETALING JAYA: A Datuk and his accomplice nabbed by graft-busters today, are believed to have abused their positions in a GLC to receive RM500,000 in bribes through an e-passport project in an African country.
The suspects are believed to have received bribes paid in euros and US dollars between 2013 and 2015, the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) revealed in a statement today.
The MACC also froze the bank accounts of the Datuk, his wife and children that contained a total of RM1 million in savings.
The statement said Felda Investment Corporation (FIC) Sdn Bhd owned about 25% shares in the GLC, worth RM200 million, since 2013.
According to the MACC, the GLC had signed an agreement with an African country to provide e-passport application services for 15 years.
Under the agreement, the GLC was to pay half of the US$46 (RM204) cost of producing each e-passport.
To make the job easier, the MACC said, the GLC appointed a local partner who would be paid a US$5 service fee for each e-passport .
Before the agreement was signed however, the Datuk met with the owner of the local partner company and allegedly asked to be paid U$1 of the US$5 service fee “to safeguard the good name of the company and to safely secure the contract between the two companies”.
“The owner agreed to the demand because he did not want to let go of the contract the GLC had awarded his company,” the MACC’s source said.
MACC investigation director Simi Abd Ghani said the case was being viewed seriously as the GLC had access to government secrets.
He said the suspects could have revealed the information for a reward.
“Those with information on the two suspects’ activities, please come forward to facilitate the investigation,” he said.
The MACC will seek a remand order for the suspects at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Earlier today, the MACC said it arrested the acting CEO and the international sales manager of a GLC for alleged involvement in fraud and power abuse in an e-passport project in an African country.
The suspects, aged 58 and 36, were arrested at their homes at noon in the MACC operation called “Op Guinea”.
The Datuk was arrested at his residence in Tropicana Indah, Petaling Jaya, while the other was detained at his house in Taman Desa, Jalan Klang Lama.
The arrest of the duo marks the second time this month prominent figures have been arrested for graft.
On Jan 4, the rural and regional development ministry secretary-general and his two sons were arrested by the MACC for suspected corruption. The MACC seized cash and gold bars worth about RM3 million from a house.
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