GEORGE TOWN, May 15 – The remand order on the 50-year-old Penang Tithes Management Centre (PUZ) high-ranking officer and one of his personnel has been extended for four days. Magistrate Mohamed Amin Shahul Hamid today allowed the extension until May 18.
Both of them were brought to Penang Court Complex handcuffed at about 2.15pm. Meanwhile, three contractors were released today after their remand order ended. The three contractors were brought to the Magistrate’s Court by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers at about 10.30am.
The trio were released on a RM5,000 MACC bond each. On Saturday, four out of eight contractors who were detained by MACC in connection with the PUZ scandal were released on a RM5,000 MACC bond each. And on Sunday another contractor was released on RM5,000 bond together with two PUZ officers who were released on a RM10,000 bond each. All suspects were earlier on a seven-day remand which ended today.
Last week , the high ranking officer and three of his officers were detained by MACC to facilitate investigation on the corruption probe of the state agency. The eight contractors were also detained along with them in an operation dubbed “Ops Miskin”. The PUZ officers are alleged to have accepted valuable items, cheques and cash from the contractors as incentives to award them projects or work-related programmes.
The high ranking PUZ officer, who has a “Datuk” title, is believed to have also helped himself to education aid and scholarships for his child, without the consent of the Penang Islamic Affairs Department. The case is being investigated under Section 17(a), 17(b) and 23 of the MACC Act 2009 which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in jail, or a fine five times the bribe.
