KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained an engineering consultant as it intensified its investigation into the proposed Penang undersea tunnel project studies.
The woman was believed to be a senior consultant in a company responsible for the project.
She was detained at the Putrajaya MACC headquarters at 6.30 pm, today.
According to a source, the 50-year-old suspect is believed to be involved in the preparation of documents for the false claims for the feasibility studies of the of the RM305 million project to the Penang state government.
The source said the MACC is in the midst of identifying whether other individuals were also involved in abetting with the preparation of the false documents.
With the arrest, three individuals had been hauled up by the MACC to assist its investigation into the case.
Previously, two company officials, with the title Datuk, were detained on Jan 9 and later released on bail after 10 days.
MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki, when contacted, declined to comment on the latest development into the graft-busters’ investigation but confirmed the arrest.
The MACC investigation into the proposed undersea tunnel project had found that several politicians have received a cut in the approval process for the project’s studies.
Sources said the cut is believed to be of high value as a result of wrongdoing and graft by several parties involved in the studies’ Implementation.
MACC officers have so far recorded statements from 76 people in the course of the investigations.
The 7.2km undersea tunnel is part of a RM6.3 billion project, undertaken by Consortium Zenith, which also includes three paired roads.
The project had raised numerous controversies in recent months, especially on the high cost of its RM305 million feasibility study, as well as the 21-month delay in its construction.