The MACC today arrested the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Acting Committee of Phase 1 and Phase 2 Settlers in Ijok, Selangor, for allegedly receiving bribes pertaining to abandoned projects in the district.

A source said the two male suspects, aged 75 and 66, were arrested at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya about 12.30pm today when they turned up to have their statements recorded.

The two suspects are believed to have received bribes between RM70,000 and RM150,000 from a compensation consulting firm, in return to neglecting the settlers' interests.

Previously, seven individuals, including three with "Datuk" titles, have been remanded by the MACC to assist the investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, MACC investigation department senior director Simi Abd Ghani confirmed the arrests and said the case is being probed under Section 16 (A) of the MACC Act 2009.

MACC is probing the Ijok land issue following the sale of 880ha of land in the constituency to several private companies.

BN has alleged that third parties have received more than RM200 million from the land sale transaction.

The said land was given to settlers more than two decades ago. In 1998, two companies were roped in to develop the land for the settlers.

The companies, however, could not deliver what was promised and in 2009, former state menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim seized the land from the developers.

This resulted in the companies filing a lawsuit, but two verdicts at the High Court and the Court of Appeal sided with the state government.

An appeal was subsequently filed with the Federal Court.

However, when current Menteri Besar Azmin Ali took over the reins in 2016, he filed a settlement agreement at the apex court and returned the said plot to the developers, which was then sold to a third-party company for RM1.18 billion.

A compensation of RM180,000 and houses worth about RM400,000 each was then given to the 981 settlers.

BN has since taken issue with the transaction, asking why the compensation was just a fraction of the land sale value, and why the matter was settled before undergoing a due legal process in the Federal Court.