SHAH ALAM: Two officers from the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and three contractors have been arrested over alleged misappropriation and graft involving three projects related to the repair, installation and maintenance of street lights.
All five, aged between 32 and 43, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Klang to facilitate investigations into two cases about 3pm Friday.
The MPAJ officers, identified as the department's assistant engineers, were believed to have approved and paid the contractors for works that were never executed.
The monies paid to the contractors were also found to have been transferred to the bank accounts linked to the assistant engineers.
Sources said in the first case, one of the assistant engineers was believed to have authorised maintenance works worth RM19,500 to be carried by an electrical contractor.
"The payment was made to the contractor but the maintenance works were not done."
Investigations showed that the money paid was then channeled into the account of another company, which is believed to be linked to the assistant engineer. Two contractors are involved in this case.
"In the second case, the other assistant engineer was found to have authorised two projects to repair faulty lights and to install street lights in Ampang between June and November last year.
"From June to July, he was believed to have authorised works to install street lights around Dusun Bandar Taman Kosas in Ampang at the cost of RM19,700.
"Between Oct and Nov last year, the suspect had also authorised projects to restore faulty street lights at two locations, worth RM19,600 and RM19,500 respectively.
"Both payments were made to the electrical contractor but our investigations revealed that it was transferred into a company account owned by the assistant engineer. One contractor is involved in this second case," said the source.
The source added that an array of luxury bags such as Prada, Coach, Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade and Michael Kors worth close to RM57,000 were found in a house owned by one of them.
Meanwhile, Selangor MACC director Datuk Wan Ramli Wan Abdullah confirmed the arrests.
He said all five will be taken to the Klang magistrate's court to be remanded on Saturday morning.