Perak Exco man freed after end of remand period

Friday August 22, 2008 MYT 5:04:29 PM
Perak Exco man freed after end of remand period
By CHRISTINA KOH

IPOH: Perak executive councillor Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi was released on ACA bail after his remand expired.

He was released at the state Anti-Corruption Agency office here on a bail of RM20,000 at 10.30am yesterday – and promptly joined his fellow exco members who were having their weekly meeting at the state secretariat.

Jamaluddin and fellow exco member Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu had been among six people detained by the ACA for alleged corruption involving a RM180mil housing project in Seri Iskandar, Perak Tengah.

The ACA had arrested the men here on Tuesday and recovered RM100,000 supposedly as part payment to approve the project.

The scandal was all the more shocking with reports that sexual favours had been solicited although state ACA director Samsiah Abu Bakar later confirmed that neither of the exco men had asked for sexual favours.

The other five were earlier released on similar bails on Thursday after the High Court here shortened the remand period.

At the magistrate's court yesterday, Pakatan Rakyat supporters were questioning why Jamaluddin was detained in the first place.

A senior ACA officer said investigations were still ongoing and had not been completed yet.

“If necessary, we will recall those who had been released to give statements again,” he said.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had earlier declared that the RM180mil project did not exist, and accused Umno and Barisan Nasional of orchestrating the entire episode.

The Star