Vehicle inspection centre agent remanded five days in RM40,000 bribery probe

KUALA LUMPUR: An agent at a vehicle inspection centre was detained by graft busters for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for illegally getting queue numbers for faster inspections.

The suspect, in his 60s, was brought to the Putrajaya magistrate's court today, where magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin granted a five-day remand order.

Sources said the suspect is believed to have received about a RM40,000 bribe from vehicle owners, who wanted to get faster queue numbers for vehicle inspections at a vehicle inspection centre.

"The arrest was made through a joint operation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and Puspakom.

"The operation focused on investigating several individuals, who were involved as agents for a syndicate facilitating faster vehicle inspections illegally.

"Information from JPJ revealed several individuals have been abusing the Puspakom inspection booking system by making multiple bookings using random vehicle registration numbers," the source said.

Sources said the individual detained also offered booking dates to customers and charging them hundreds of ringgit for inspection slots illegally.

"This modus operandi prevents regular customers from making bookings for inspections as the booking slots are fully filled by the agents," the source said.

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

"We are also tracking down several other agents and not ruling out further arrests in the future," he said.