MACC has busted a cartel in the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) believed to have been monopolising project tenders in the local authority following a raid last Sunday.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said so far nine individuals, including several MBSA staff and a senior officer, are under probe.

"Nine people were arrested and the MACC is still investigating. One of the findings we got was that the senior officer received valuables worth tens of thousands of ringgit, we are investigating how corruption occurred and how a company controlled 30 other companies to get projects in MBSA," he told reporters yesterday.

On Sunday, the MACC arrested three individuals, namely two MBSA officials and a contractor in relation to a state government project.

The anti-graft agency is also expected to complete an investigation into false claims and embezzlement of the Employment Recruitment Incentives Programme (Penjana Kerja) involving RM100 million, within a month.

Azam said the investigation has taken some time because it involved many suspects and other parties, but so far MACC has opened 62 investigation papers and detained 38 men and 13 women to assist in the probe.

MACC chief Azam Baki

"This case has nothing to do with politics, it is like daylight robbery where a group of individuals saw an opportunity (to take advantage) of the government's generosity to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

MACC had earlier undertaken a large-scale operation with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to investigate the issue of false claims and the embezzlement of Penjana Kerja funds in several states.

The operation was a follow-up to information obtained after monitoring and intelligence by the MACC in collaboration with Socso, which found that there were employers who submitted false claims and misappropriated the programme's funds.

- Bernama

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