Monday July 28, 2008

Suspects nabbed over RM1.07m maintenance bill for Proton Perdana cars

PETALING JAYA: The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) has arrested three car workshop owners and seized eight of the 16 Proton Perdana V6 Executive cars owned by the Terengganu Government.

ACA enforcement director Datuk Shukri Abdull said one of the suspects was arrested on Friday and the other two on Saturday in connection with the RM1.07mil maintenance bill for the cars.

He said the men, aged between 30 and 50, have been remanded for four days since yesterday under the Anti-Corruption Act 1967 to assist in investigations.

“Investigations are still ongoing and we require more information to complete investigations,” he said.

Shukri also did not rule out the possibility more people would be arrested over the matter.

He said 10 people have been called up by his agency to give their statements.

“We won’t hesitate to call anyone. If investigations show any involvement by a state exco member or top government officials, then they will be called up as well to give their statements,” he said.

The real thing: Proton Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed with a genuine Proton Perdana gearbox during a press conference Sunday. He said unauthorised service centres using non-genuine parts led to the high cost of maintenance of the cars in Terengganu. – RAYMOND OOI / The Star

On July 22, the Terengganu Mentri Besar’s office revealed in a statement that the state government had been spending too much money since 2004 on the maintenance of the Proton Perdana used by state exco members.

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said that the state had bought 14 Mercedes Benz E200 Kompressor cars at RM3.43mil to replace the Proton Perdanas in a move to “cut costs”.

Last Wednesday, ACA officers visited the State Secretariat and State Treasury at Wisma Darul Iman in Kuala Terengganu to question senior officials and four drivers over the issue.

The officers removed several documents, including the servicing bills of the Proton Perdanas.