KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has received new evidence in the course of its investigation into the RM80-million J-Qaf book printing project.
MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki said his investigation team has gotten a lot of new evidence in a short time to facilitate the ongoing probe, reported Berita Harian.
He added that he will leave it to his team to summon former education minister Datuk Radzi Jidin to provide a statement.
“I am not sure (when Radzi will be called up). It is left to the investigating officer,” he was quoted as saying after an event in Kajang today.
Last Sunday, Azam said there was a high chance that MACC would call up Putrajaya MP Radzi to aid in the probe into the J-Qaf book printing project during his tenure as senior minister for education.
On September 23, MACC arrested two individuals, including a former political secretary to a former minister, on allegations of soliciting and receiving bribes for an RM80-million direct negotiation project involving a ministry.
The other suspect arrested is a company owner in his late 50s.
An MACC source was quoted as saying that the duo are believed to have conspired with the former senior minister to request and receive bribes through the second suspect’s company from the contractor in exchange for approving the book printing project via direct negotiations.
The two suspects were remanded for four days until September 26.
Addressing the arrests, Radzi confirmed that the commission had detained his former political secretary, claiming that the action was orchestrated by “higher-ups” in response to his statement in Parliament on September 20 when he took offence to assertions by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Radzi also refuted any connection between himself, his wife, and the project – adding that his wife is not of royal lineage and has no ties to ATR One & Only Enterprise, the company mentioned in a viral message on the matter. – September 30, 2023