A director of a government agency under a ministry is being remanded for seven days from today to assist in the investigation into alleged abuse of power related to awarding of projects.

The Shah Alam High Court's senior assistant registrar, Yusna Khadijah Md Yusop, allowed the application from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to remand the man until this coming Wednesday.

The handcuffed man clad in purple lock-up attire arrived at the court complex, here, about 10am today. The case is being investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009.

It is understood that the items seized so far in the case investigation are a Toyota Alphard MPV and several bank accounts with amounts totalling RM786,000.

According to sources in MACC yesterday, the 54-year-old director was detained at a hotel in Bagan Lalang, Sepang, Selangor around noon.

Also detained was the man's 36-year-old wife, who is an admistrative assistant at the government agency.

The director was nabbed as he is believed to have abused his power and position to award the contracts to supply equipment to the agency, to contractors who had vested interest.

From the MACC's initial investigation, he was suspected of receiving a certain amount of money from the constractors so that the latter's companies would be selected again for future projects.

The MACC arrested two company owners believed to have received contracts from the director, in Alor Setar and Shah Alam respectively between 8.10am and 3.30pm yesterday.

According to MACC sources today, the company owner who was arrested in Shah Alam, is being remanded for seven days from yesterday, and the one detained in Alor Setar was also remanded for seven days from today.

The director's wife was released after her statement was recorded.

- Bernama