PUTRAJAYA: the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested four high-ranking individuals in private companies, including a managing director and general manager, yesterday to assist in investigations in connection with corruption involving a special government programme worth RM114 million.

According to a MACC source, all the men, aged between 38 and 65, were arrested at its headquarters in Putrajaya yesterday afternoon when they turned up to have their statements recorded.

Those arrested were the 65-year-old managing director of a private company, the general manager of a private company and two directors of another private company.

"The projects were to build and upgrade roads in the southern part of the country," said the MACC source, adding that the managing director acted as a middleman to solicit bribes from the two directors with the help of the general manager.

The middleman is alleged to have asked for three to five per cent of the total value of the projects in return for helping the private company secure projects under the government's special programme, said the source.

The four individuals have been remanded for six days from today to assist in investigations after Magistrate Izra Zulaikha Rohanuddin allowed the application made by MACC at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court here today.

MACC special operations division senior director Datuk Tan Kang Sai, when contacted, confirmed the arrest of the four individuals for investigations under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.

-- BERNAMA