KOTA KINABALU: Two more individuals have been arrested to assist in investigations into alleged corrupt practices related to the issuance of tenders for raw material supplies to schools in Sabah’s northern Kudat district.
The two suspects, a man and a woman in their 40s, are senior officials from an Education Department office in one of the districts in the state, according to a source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The source said the pair are believed to have accepted bribes in connection with the tender process for projects worth RM600,000 between 2023 and 2024.
They were first brought to the MACC office to provide statements at around 3pm on Friday (Oct 25), before being arrested, the source added.
A remand order was obtained on Saturday (Oct 26), and it will run until Oct 30.
The source revealed that the suspects had been receiving bribes via proxy bank accounts in exchange for awarding tenders.
“We believe the suspects received the money as rewards for appointing several designated suppliers to provide raw materials for the repair and maintenance of schools in Kudat,” the source said.
These arrests follow the earlier detention of a business owner on Friday, who was allegedly involved in falsifying documents and claims amounting to RM45,000.
Sabah MACC Director, Datuk S. Karunanithy, who confirmed the arrests, said that the case is being investigated under the MACC Act 2009.
Recently, Kudat MP Datuk Verdon Bahanda raised concerns in Parliament about a cartel embezzling school funds within the Kudat Education District office during his debate on Budget 2025. He urged the MACC to investigate the matter.
