PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it opened six investigation papers on the Penang Undersea Tunnel Project since allegations of corruption surrounding the development were raised almost two years ago.
The graftbuster said that the first investigation paper was opened in July 2017, while the remaining five were opened in Jan 2018.
"A total of five investigation papers have been completed and submitted to the deputy public prosecutor.
"Three of the five investigation papers were returned to the commission for further investigation.
"Two are still being studied by the deputy public prosecutor," the MACC said in a statement here, today, adding that the sixth paper is still open.
In a recent entry in his portal www.malaysia-today.net, controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had alleged that Finance Lim Guan Eng and four other Penang state executive councillors were involved in corrupt practices involving the project.
He claimed to have been given a 200-page document by an individual at the MACC, and that he will produce extracts of its contents in several online installments to expose the matter.
On Sunday, Lim had described the blogger’s allegations as “ridiculous lies”.
He also pointed out that the previous Barisan Nasional government had investigated the project for corruption and no action was taken.
The project, which costs RM6.3 billion and consists of four components, includes three road projects measuring 30km.
The development has long courted controversy, especially over the high cost of its RM305 million feasibility studies, as well as the nearly two year-long delay in its completion.