Stephen Wong
KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah chairman Stephen Wong Tien Fatt yesterday took Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to task and demanded that the latter should resign with immediate effect over the corruption case allegedly involved two senior state Water Department staff.
“As a Minister of Infrastructure Development, the Water Work Department is under his purview.
“It is astonishing to note that RM3.3 billion project funds can bypass the ministry and swindled by one department head just like that.
“I strongly believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg and more acts of impropriety will soon surface.
“I urge the MACC to hold on to its mandate and continue to act without fear and favour to put all those involved to justice,” Wong said.
The MACC allegedly seized more than RM114.5 million from raids at the offices and homes of the two suspects.
In a press conference on Wednesday, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Azam Baki described the case as ‘the biggest cash bust’ in the history of MACC involving civil servants.
Pairin said in a statement on Friday that the Infrastructure Development Ministry would leave no stone unturned in investigating two of its officers suspected of corruption and abuse of power.
He said the ministry would extend its full cooperation to MACC in the investigation of the case.
Pairin, who is also the State Infrastructure Development Minister, said he was truly shocked when he heard of the arrest, stories and photographs being circulated in the social media.
He said the allocations were directly channelled to the State Water Department as the implementing agency without the ministry’s knowledge.
According to him, the procurement of the projects as well as the payments were handled by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development and the State Water Department.