JOHOR BARU, May 1 — A water company chief executive officer (CEO) and a company owner are the latest to be arrested by the Johor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its probe on top state water utility executives receiving kickbacks related to contract work and false claims.

The two male suspects, aged 38 and 35, were detained and arrested at the Selangor MACC office in Section 16, Shah Alam at 4pm yesterday.

“Johor MACC investigators initiated the probe that led to the arrests based on several complaints received since last year.

“It is understood that the two suspects had received bribes from owners of two outsourcing contractor firms in return for securing servicing and supply works from the water supply company.

“The suspects were also involved in presenting a fake document about a donation application for a programme amounting to RM3.3 million that was not fully implemented,” MACC sources said this morning.

It is learnt that the two suspects, under the custody of Selangor MACC investigators, have since been handed over to the commission’s Johor counterparts to facilitate court proceedings.

In a statement, Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias confirmed the arrests of the two suspects.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009 for corruptly soliciting or accepting gratification and Section 18 of the same Act for providing false documents to deceive.

The suspects are expected to be brought to the magistrates’ court here today for MACC investigators to obtain a remand application.

Yesterday, MACC was granted a one-day remand order by the Magistrate’s Court here to hold two Johor water utility company senior managers in connection with an ongoing case.

The remand order against the two male suspects, aged 36 and 40, was issued by Senior Assistant Registrar Nurzihan Abdul Rehman.

However, the suspects were released on the same day yesterday upon the expiry of their remand order. - malaymail