Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Saturday arrested 19 contractors on suspicion of having been involved in submitting falsified bank statements worth about RM49 million to the State Education Department.
According to a source, all the suspects, aged between 24 and 53, were picked up at the Sabah MACC office, here, about 10am.
The source said the falsified bank statements were submitted as an inducement to secure tenders for several schools throughout Sabah.
Sabah MACC Director Datuk S. Karunanithy, when contacted, confirmed the arrests and said the case was being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 471 of the Penal Code. He said all the suspects, comprising 10 men and nine women, would be charged in the Kota Kinabalu Special Corruption Court soon.
Meanwhile, Karunanithy said in 2020, Sabah MACC had arrested 39 contractors believed to have used the same modus operandi, involving a contract value amounting to more than RM80 million.
Following the arrests, he said 132 charges were brought to the Special Corruption Court in Sabah last year.
Taking the matter seriously, Karunanithy said MACC had put in place several preventive measures.
“Among the measures implemented are integrity seminars for contractors in collaboration with the State Ministry of Finance.
“In addition, MACC Sabah held an Anti-Corruption Forum on March 27 last year, themed ‘The Role of Contractors in Tackling Corruption’, in collaboration between Sabah MACC, Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). I would like to remind contractors that submitting false documents in order to get any government contract is a serious offence,” he said.
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