MACC NABS ANOTHER AGENT OVER RM40,000 BRIBES TO JUMP QUEUE FOR VEHICLE INSPECTIONS

PUTRAJAYA, March 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested another agent at a vehicle inspection centre on suspicion of accepting bribes to obtain queue numbers to speed up the vehicle inspection process without following proper procedures.

According to the MACC, Senior Assistant Registrar Assayidatun Najwa Muhammad Nasution granted the MACC’s request for a four-day remand order against the male suspect at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court today.

MACC sources said the suspect allegedly received around RM40,000 in bribes from vehicle owners seeking to secure queue numbers for faster vehicle inspections at a centre.

“This arrest follows an operation carried out by the MACC in collaboration with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) Putrajaya and the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) yesterday.

“It involves an investigation into several individuals believed to be part of a syndicate facilitating vehicle inspections without adhering to lawful procedures,” the source stated.

The sources added that the suspect, who is in his 30s, was detained around 4 pm yesterday while giving his statement at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.

The sources also disclosed that information from the JPJ Enforcement Division indicated several individuals had abused Puspakom’s booking system by making bulk reservations using random vehicle registration numbers.

“The modus operandi of these individuals involves offering pre-booked inspection dates to clients for hundreds of ringgit per slot, followed by rescheduling the dates to allow new (inspection) applications in the system,” the sources explained.

Meanwhile, Putrajaya MACC director Azizul Ahmad Sarkawi, when contacted, confirmed the arrest and said the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA