PUTRAJAYA: Kota Kinabalu High Court yesterday ordered Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to return RM19.97 million to the government from the RM21.78 million seized in an operation involving the misappropriation of funds by Sabah Water Department.
In a statement, MACC said Judge Datuk Nurcahaya Arshad had ordered the graft buster to return the RM19.97 million.
During the proceedings, MACC was represented by its deputy public prosecutors Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman, Mohd Farez Rahman and Rozanna Abdul Hadi.
The court has fixed Dec 13 for hearing on return of the remaining almost RM1.8 million.
On Oct 4 last year, MACC launched the Ops Jans involving corruption and abuse of power in Sabah Water Department. In the first phase, the MACC seized RM53 million from two suspects.
In the second phase last January, MACC seized RM21.78 and arrested 35 division and district heads to assist investigation into misappropriation of the department's infrastructure funds.
Following the second phase, MACC opened 10 investigation papers and filed an application in the Kota Kinabalu High Court for forfeiture of the seized money amounting to approximately RM21.78 million.
This was in line with Section 56 (1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
MACC said the misappropriation of funds in the Sabah Water Department involved almost all its officers, with the biggest ever seizure in the country since the commission was established.