THE Putrajaya magistrates’ court today issued an order to remand a woman engineering consultant for five days until January 28 to assist the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in the investigation the proposed undersea tunnel project in Penang.

Magistrate Fatina Amyra Abdul Jalil issued the order to remand the 50-year-old woman who appeared in court about 10am, handcuffed and in the orange MACC lock-up uniform.

The woman, a senior consultant of a company engaged in the project, was arrested at 6.10pm yesterday when she went to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to give a statement.

Media reports quoted an MACC source as saying that the woman is believed to have been involved in the furnishing of false claims to the Penang government over a RM305 million feasibility study on three major highways and the tunnel in Penang. 

Her arrest brings to three the number of people held by MACC to assist in the investigation into the tunnel project. A senior executive director of a consortium with a “Datuk” title and the deputy chairman of a real estate development company were remanded earlier.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki said last Monday that MACC had recorded statements from 76 people in their investigation into the case.

The proposed tunnel project had raised controversy, among others in relation to what is believed to be the high cost of the feasibility study, payment linked to a government land swap and public objection to the project which is feared would have negative economic, social and environmental impacts. – Bernama, January 24, 2018.