A government-linked company (GLC) has suspended its deputy managing director following the latter’s arrest and remand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

In an announcement at Bursa Malaysia dated last Friday, Jan 20, the company said the individual's duties as acting CEO and deputy managing director would be taken over by its chief operating officer.

“The remand of (the deputy managing director) will not have any implications on the validity of the contract between (the company) and the government of the Republic of Guinea nor does (the company) expect that it will have any implications on the e-passport project.

“The remand of (the deputy managing director) will not have any material effect on the earnings and net assets of the company for the financial year ending 31 March 2017 and also financial year ending 31 March 2018.

“In the meantime, (the company) will extend its complete cooperation to the MACC in its investigations,” said the company in a statement.

Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the company and the deputy managing director pending charges against him.

The 58-year-old suspect holds the title ‘datuk’, and was arrested at his house at Tropicana Indah, Petaling Jaya, on Jan 19. Also arrested was a 36-year-old international sales manager at the same company.

On the following day, the Magistrate’s Court in Putrajaya granted six days' remand for the duo, until Jan 25.

The arrests were a part of a MACC operation dubbed ‘Ops Guinea’, and the two were suspected of being involved in corrupt practices and abuse of power with regards to an e-passport project in Guinea.

They allegedly solicited bribes from a private overseas-based firm, with whom the GLC had signed a 15-year contract to prepare for the implementation of the e-passport facility.

The bribe allegedly amounted to almost RM500,000 in euro and US dollar denominations, and the offence reportedly took place between 2013 and 2015.

The MACC had also frozen several accounts belonging to the ‘datuk’, his wife, and their son, totalling some RM1 million.