KOTA BARU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained eight Kelantan Forestry Department staff and a senior officer with a state-linked company.

They were among 11 people picked up as part of MACC’s investigations into illegal logging in the Ulu Sat forest reserve in Machang.

Sources said this was the biggest arrest involving Kelantan government staff by the MACC. MACC is looking for another individual in connection with the case.

“Ten suspects were detained for accepting money from the contractor, while the contractor was detained for giving the bribe.”

The Forestry Department staff include forest rangers based in Machang, while the contractor was appointed by a state-owned company to cut logs in its concession area in Ulu Sat.

The senior officer is believed to have received between RM70,000 and RM80,000 from the contractor, while the other nine accepted between RM700 and RM10,000 each.

“The rangers accepted the money to allow the contractor to cut timber beyond the concession area. MACC has identified at least five areas where the contractor was believed to have carried out illegal logging,” said a source.

The contractor has been remanded for seven days starting Sunday.

The others have been released on bail. It is understood that MACC’s investigations were initiated following a revelation by former state executive councillor and Salor assemblyman Datuk Husam Musa in his Facebook recently.

Husam had posted that sources had informed him of the contractor carrying out illegal logging and the state Forestry Department had temporarily stopped work at the site.

– http://www.nst.com.my/