GEORGE TOWN, 10 Jan 2018:
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday raided several government offices at Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar) as well as companies connected to its investigations into the Penang undersea tunnel project.
It is understood the offices which the MACC visited were the Public Works Department office in Sungai Pinang as well as the State Secretariat office, the Lands and Mines office, and the Department of Valuation and Property Management’s office in Komtar.
In addition, MACC also raided the offices of Ewein-Zenith, 555 Capital Diamond Valley Industrial Park and Konsortium Zenith in the 10am operation.
When contacted, MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki confirmed the raids – saying it was a follow-up operation on a complaint made by Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan on Jan 5.
“We have taken documents from the government offices and companies connected to the undersea project. For now, no arrests have been made.”
Azam, however, declined to elaborate, saying the investigations were still in the early stages.
On Jan 5, Huan lodge a report with the MACC in Putrajaya and submitted what he claimed was fresh evidence on the RM15 billion undersea project for investigations into abuse of power or corruption in the bidding for the project.
This was his second report to MACC on the case. Huan had lodged the first report on July 21 last year – four days after lodging a police report in Penang – claiming that the state government had awarded the project to a company which allegedly had capital below the required level when bidding for the project.
The 7.2km project – which connects Persiaran Gurney to Bagan Ajam in Seberang Perai and three major roads – were awarded to Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd, which is made up of several companies.
The project has been engulfed in controversies including the high cost of implementation, payment modes which involved conversion of state land, as well as protests from residents over the economic, social and environmental impact.
– Bernama