4 Pahang officials detained for bribery in bauxite mining

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations director Datuk Azam Baki speaks at a press conference on the bauxite issue at the MACC Kuantan office today. Residents have been complaining about pollution caused by bauxite mining and leakage from the transportation of bauxite to the port. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, January 7, 2016.Four Pahang land and mines officers have been detained for alleged bribery in the state's bauxite mining industry, Malaysia's anti-graft agency said today.

The amount involved was RM100,000, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations director Datuk Azam Baki said.

The bribes were obtained through the sale of forms issued to lorry drivers transporting bauxite.

Of those detained, one was a senior enforcement officer, Azam today told a press conference at the Pahang MACC office.

The four, aged between 30 and 38, were suspected of protecting illegal bauxite miners in the state.

They were detained at their homes around Kuantan in a three-hour operation that ended 9pm last night.

"(During the raid) we found a large amount of cash hidden in a washing machine of the senior officer, believed to be the bribe money."

The bribes were paid through the sale of the 13D form, also known as a docket, that the Land and Mines Office issued to miners, Azam said.

The form, which could be obtained at RM1 each, was sold to illegal miners at between RM150 and RM200 each.

"It is a form that every lorry driver needs to have while transferring bauxite to the stockpile storage site."

Azam said MACC officers also found stacks of 13D forms in the suspects' cars.

The forms contained information on the volume of earth allowed in a lorry per trip and required the signature of a land and mines officer. Each form is valid for one trip only.

"So the lorry driver will need new docket for a new trip. Let's say a miner has 20 lorries, he needs 20 dockets for each trip."

An offence would be committed if the lorry driver failed to produce a docket when requested or stopped by the land and mines enforcement unit.

"In this case, the alleged corruption practice occurred at the office when the illegal miner went in to buy the RM1 docket at the price of RM150 to RM200," he said.

He said the form had kept the illegal miners from being "disturbed" by enforcement officers.

MACC had found that there were more than 200 illegal bauxite miners in Pahang, Azam added.

MACC last night said it had found elements of corruption in Pahang's bauxite mining industry.

Azam today also said the anti-graft agency was probing into a shortfall in the bauxite mining royalty received by the state government last year.

The four state officials detained had been remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations for allegedly accepting bribes under the MACC Act 2009.

"They have been remanded until January 14. We will extend their remand if necessary," Azam said. – January 7, 2016.