The MACC has confirmed arresting a senior consultant for trying to influence JKP Sdn Bhd, a government-linked company, to deal with his engineering firm.

Though confirming the arrest, state MACC director Abdul Aziz Aban declined to provide further details, only saying "we are investigating the case."

The MACC detained the consultant when he showed up at the graft buster's Penang headquarters on Jalan Northam at 1pm yesterday.

Aziz said the individual will be remanded five days until March 5 to assist in the commission's probe against the company.

JKP, which is owned by the Ministry of Finance, builds affordable homes in Penang, and is headquartered in the Umno building on Jalan Macalister, Penang.

The case was first highlighted last year when PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (photo) raised the issue of conflict of interest involving the CEO of JKP.

Saifuddin had claimed that the CEO dished out RM3 million worth of projects to a private engineering firm, of which he is also the director. 

After a report was lodged to the MACC on alleged financial irregularities in JKP, its board of directors advised the CEO to go on leave, pending investigations. 

JKP chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman said last December that the company would cooperate fully with MACC's probe into its financial management and interests.