AN assistant divisional secretary at a ministry has been remanded for five days over investigations into bribery amounting to RM1 million in return for helping 11 companies secure government contracts since 2016.

The remand order until June 27 was obtained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission before Putrajaya magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim today.

According to sources, the 46-year-old suspect was arrested at the MACC headquarters 9pm last night after having his statement taken.

“The suspect received a cash bribe of RM300,000, jewellery, a two-acre plot of land, two double-storey shop houses and a motorbike since 2016. All the items are estimated to be worth more than RM1 million.

“The bribe was in relation to helping 11 companies secure general supply, services, and transportation contracts from the ministry,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

The MACC has been monitoring government departments suspected of being involved in helping cabals monopolise government contracts.

MACC chief Azam Baki said the monitoring was done with the cooperation of the Ministry of Finance, and that they will scrutinise the procurement process by the relevant departments.

He said the MACC was monitoring the departments based on tip-offs that they were involved in a tender monopoly.

In April this year, the MACC crippled a “project tender cartel” with the arrest of seven individuals, including a 47-year-old syndicate leader.

The group had monopolised a total of 354 tenders from several ministries and government agencies nationwide, involving projects worth a total of RM3.8 billion. – June 23, 2021.