Sabah Watergate: RM8.4 million cash seized so far by MACC in 2nd phase

KOTA KINABALU: Another engineer was picked up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to facilitate its ongoing investigation into a multi-million ringgit probe concerning the Sabah Water Department.

The man was nabbed at 6.40pm in the Tawau district, yesterday.

He was taken to the Tawau magistrate’s court today and was brought before Magistrate Muhammad Faizal Che Saad, who granted a five-day remand on the suspect.

The remand order will expire on Oct 28. Meanwhile, five suspects who were among 19 people arrested during MACC’s second phase of its operation on Oct 19, were released from remand today.

Four technicians and an officer with the Sabah Water Department were ordered to be released on RM50,000 bail with two sureties each. MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki, confirming this, said the commission seized RM8.4 million in cash from those arrested in the second phase of the operation.

Three technicians were also arrested on Oct 20. On Oct 4, an MACC special task force arrested two senior figures within the department and two others on suspicion of monopolising government projects.

The suspects were believed to have raked in millions from RM3.3 billion worth of federal funded projects to boost clean water supply in Sabah.

Following their arrest, the team also picked up a former top senior officer of the department on Oct 14.

All five suspects have since been released from remand. - NST