By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, April 9: The Magistrate’s Court here dismissed the remand application applied by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over a couple holding the title of Dato and Datin in relation to the case for allegedly falsifying documents to tender a food supply project for a hostel under the Education Ministry.
The 56-year-old Dato and 58-year-old Datin were arrested by the MACC at the MACC’s office at around 5.20pm yesterday.
They were the owner and co-owner of a supplying company and directors of a company that allegedly used false documents to obtain tender. They were arrested following the arrest of a 41-year-old female executive of a private company.
The duo was brought before the Magistrate’s Court by the MACC for a remand application of seven days to further facilitate investigation into the case.
Magistrate Zaiton Anaur dismissed the remand applied by the MACC on the grounds that the MACC could not prove that the suspects have business in submitting the tender.
Counsel Shankar Ram, who represented the couple, told reporters outside the court that there were no grounds, no connection and no basis for the remand and that the MACC relied upon presumptive investigation.
Therefore Zaiton dismissed the remand application by the MACC as the MACC could not link the suspects to this case, he added.
He also said that his clients had been cooperative with the MACC and statements had been given.
The female executive of a private company was arrested by the MACC on April 5 and is still under the remand of the MACC until April 10.
One of the two who was arrested by the MACC yesterday is the owner of a supplying company that had allegedly falsified a document believed to contain false supporting document amounting to RM5,828,220 to obtain tender for the projects of supplying food to a secondary school hostel in Matang Jaya from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019 (24 months).
The case is being investigated under Section 18 of the Malaysian anti-Corruption Act 2009 which provides for a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, and a maximum jail term of 20 years.
Prosecuting officer Mohamad Hafizuddin Roslan applied for remand. — DayakDaily
