KOTA BARU: The four individuals arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday in connection with an investigation into a failed tube wells project in the state have been remanded for three days at the Magistrate Court here today.
The remand order against the four was obtained before Magistrate Rais Imran Hamid and will end on May 18.
Earlier, the four arrived at the Kota Baru court complex around 8:45 am aboard a van.
The group comprises two former senior officers of a Kelantan water company and two owners of a consulting company involved in the project."
Yesterday, MACC detained the four, aged 40 to 60, in separate locations in Kota Baru.
The arrests came after the New Straits Times reported on the plight of villagers in Kota Baru who have been struggling with water supply.
Following the arrest, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed that it is investigating 10 tube well projects by state-owned water company Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) that failed to function.
He said the projects, worth some RM300 million, were carried out by AKSB between 2008 and 2015.
In total, he said, 28 tube wells were constructed under the horizontal collector well (HCW) and the repair of water treatment plants project.
Azam also confirmed the arrest of four people in relation to the investigation into the construction of the tube well projects in Kelantan which failed to supply water to the residents.
He added that investigations were being carried out by MACC's special operations division.
"The tube wells built by the company should supply raw water to the water treatment plant before it is distributed to consumers.
"The construction of HCWs of different capacities is an alternative to overcome the water problem in the state especially in the dry season.
"But many of the wells that were built failed to produce the quantity of water resources at an optimum level," he said.