Perak PKR state executive councillor Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi was today remanded for two days to assist the ACA in their investigations into a RM180 million housing project scandal while five others were released.

The state cabinet member was taken to the Ipoh magistrate's court this morning where the two-day remand order was made.

perak exco aca arrest 200808 jamaluddin mohd radzi Jamaluddin ( photo, right ) was arrested at 10.30am yesterday morning when he surrendered himself to the ACA.

Jamaluddin and five others were detained for alleged graft in relation to a RM180 million housing project in Seri Iskandar, about 30-minute drive south of Ipoh.

Apart from Jamaluddin, the other state exco held was Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu.

Although their remand order for the five expires tomorrow, the Ipoh High Court has slashed their remand from three days to two days.

Lawyers for the five individuals have gone to the High Court seeking a review of the remand order.

Among others, defence lawyers argued that the ACA did not specify in the detail the offences being investigated in the agency's application for the remand order.

Judge Ridwan Ibrahim subsequently cut short the remand period.

Osman was the last to be released today at 7.05pm from the state ACA headquarters. All five individuals freed today would have to report back to the ACA at a later date.

It is understood that Osman would be attending the weekly state cabinet meeting tomorrow.

RM100,000 found in Osman's bag

The five of them, aged between 45 and 57, were picked up yesterday following a public tip-off and had been remanded for three days.

Jamaluddin is the PKR state representative for Behrang and is in charge of the entrepreneur development, agriculture and commerce portfolios.

perak exco aca arrest 200808 mohd osman mohd jailu Meanwhile, Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu ( right ), the PKR state assemblyperson for Changkat Jering, is exco for tourism, human capital and NGOs.

Apart from the duo, a former PKR state assemblyperson was also among the six people detained by the ACA.

According to the ACA, the five who were nabbed in a sting operation on Tuesday night - including Mohd Osman, a retired army captain - were caught red-handed with RM100,000 found in a bag belonging to the exco at a hotel in Ipoh.

"They are also believed to be involved in sexual bribery," said the ACA. [See ACA statement in full]

It is learnt that the two members of the state cabinet were not involved in sexual bribery.

'It smells of entrapment'

Meanwhile, PKR leaders questioned the graft arrests and said the BN ruling coalition is trying to halt its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim after March elections that handed the opposition an unprecedented five states and a third of parliamentary seats.

"The BN government is playing dirty tricks to try and prevent Anwar from winning and to give (the opposition alliance) a bad name," PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali told AFP.

"I was told the money officials claimed to have discovered in a bag was actually put there by some other individuals, so this smells of entrapment," he added.

Perak's chief minister Nizar Jamaluddin, from the conservative Islamic party PAS which is a member of the opposition alliance, said he was perplexed by the allegations.