PENANG DCM’S AIDE NABBED BY MACC

INVESTIGATION .....Mustafar said the investigation paper will be sent to prosecutors shortly.

KUALA LUMPUR : A 56-year-old aide to one of Penang’s two deputy chief ministers was among three men arrested by anti-graft officials over a RM30,000 bribery attempt, newspapers reported today.

The unnamed men are suspected to have offered the money as inducement to a woman to drop a sexual harassment complaint lodged against a top civil official, The Sunday Star reported.

The woman had lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that lay in wait for the transaction to take place in a Seberang Jaya restaurant on January 3, the English-language paper reported, citing an unnamed source close to the investigation.

“They were arrested on the spot at about 11.30pm,” the paper quoted the source as saying.

The woman, who was also unnamed, was said to have been contacted by the trio and offered money to retract her complaint against the civil servant. The latter was produced to be charged in court several months ago, the paper reported but it was not clear if the man was actually prosecuted.

MACC’s head of investigations, Datuk Mustafar Ali, confirmed the arrest yesterday.

“Investigations are being carried out under the MACC Act 2009 and a complete investigation paper will be presented to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office soon,” he was quoted as saying by Malay broadsheet, Mingguan Malaysia.

The weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia also reported an unnamed source close to the investigation as saying the aide had witnessed the transaction between two men, one who is said to be a 52-year-old district officer and the other, a bank officer.

The Sunday Star reported the aide to be a PKR office bearer in Permatang Pauh, which is held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.