Macc Arrests Company Chairman In Rm1 8bil Padi Fertiliser Contract Probe

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MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for soliciting and receiving bribes.
PETALING JAYA: The chairman of a foreign company was arrested in connection with a probe into irregularities in the awarding of RM1.8 billion worth of padi fertiliser contracts linked to an organisation under a ministry.
A source said another man was also arrested while giving his statement at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters yesterday afternoon, reported Harian Metro.
The source said initial investigations revealed that the main suspect, who is the organisation’s promotion and marketing manager, had received a quotation from the company.
“The appointment of the company was then approved without comparing with other prices or going through the board of directors,” said the source.
“A supply contract for fertiliser worth approximately RM60 million was awarded through direct negotiation in just six days in June 2022, even though the foreign company had never received any work from the organisation previously.”
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki confirmed the arrests and said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for soliciting and receiving bribes.
A five-day remand order until Monday was issued by the registrar, Syahrul Sazly Sain, at the Putrajaya magistrates’ court today.
Yesterday, a marketing executive of the company that was offered the contract was remanded for four days.
Bernama yesterday reported that the company, which is headquartered in Singapore, had been dormant in Malaysia for the past eight years.
On Tuesday, Azam confirmed that MACC had launched an investigation into an alleged cartel involved in the distribution and supply of RM1.8 billion worth of padi fertiliser contracts by an organisation under a ministry.
The organisation is responsible for producing fertiliser for padi and distributing it to farmers across the country through its state-level offices.
An MACC source said the anti-graft agency had conducted a series of raids in and around Kuala Lumpur, including at the headquarters of the organisation, the ministry and nine firms allegedly involved in the cartel. - FMT

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