PUTRAJAYA (June 2): French authorities have sought mutual legal assistance from Malaysia via the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in relation to their probe on possible bribery involving the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the French authorities are investigating several parties, including certain companies in both Malaysia and France, on alleged corrupt practices by public officials.
“I can't reveal the names but we are examining their application and we must remember that any information we want to provide to France or any other country is through the AGC.
“We are in talks with the AGC to scrutinise what we can [do in providing] assistance to them. We will not fulfil all their requests. We look at which ones we can help and vice versa,” he said at MACC’s meet-the-media session on Thursday (June 2).
Azam said the French authorities, on their part, must also assist the MACC if there are any application by MACC to them as the agency had opened an investigation into the matter in March.
Azam said MACC had opened two investigation papers over allegations of corruption involving past MRT and LRT projects in the Klang Valley.
Azam said the scope of the investigation in Malaysia is related to the issue of corruption that has already occurred involving payments to certain parties.
On May 30, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd said it viewed seriously media reports that cited sources as saying there were elements of bribery in public transport infrastructure construction projects.
The public transportation operator said in a statement that they involved MRT and LRT projects.
In March, three directors and two former directors of an engineering firm were detained by the MACC to assist in a corruption case related to the MRT project worth over RM650 million.
Four men, including one with the title "Datuk", and a woman, all aged between 43 and 63, were detained when they turned up to give their statements at the MACC headquarters on March 21.
Two former company directors are believed to have received RM27 million in bribes from another engineering firm as kickback to be appointed as a consultant for the project in 2017, according to MACC sources.
Subsequently, Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) clarified that the investigation being carried out by the MACC into the alleged corruption by the two engineering firms was not related to MRT Corp or any of its staff.
In April, Pestech International Bhd announced that its subsidiary CRSE Sdn Bhd is assisting in the MACC investigation into a case related to the MRT2 project.
Pestech had explained that CRSE was executing the power supply and distribution system package for MRT2.
Read also:
Prasarana views seriously claims of corruption in MRT, LRT projects
MRT project: Three directors, two ex-directors of engineering firm held for alleged bribery
MRT Corp clarifies it has nothing to do with ongoing MACC probe
Pestech’s subsidiary to assist in MACC investigation on MRT2 project