Written by 
PETALING JAYA: Highway concessionaire Prolintas Group says the two top officials in the group who were recently charged with accepting bribes have been on leave of absence since July 9 and 16 last year respectively.
In a statement, the group also clarified that the “individuals concerned are affiliated with Turnpike Synergy Sdn Bhd, the company in charge of the construction of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE)”.
“Prolintas reiterates that it has a zero-tolerance policy with regard to breaches of integrity and governance and shall take all necessary action to address this matter and protect the interests of the company,” it said.
Prolintas said it has been cooperating with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the matter and will continue to do so.
Earlier today, Prolintas Group COO Rostam Shahrif Tami, 59, was charged at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court with soliciting and accepting a RM70,000 bribe.
He was charged with receiving the bribe from a representative of Satunas Technologies Sdn Bhd to award work packages for SUKE to the company.
He is accused of committing the offence on April 12, 2023, at the parking lot of Masjid Ibnu Mas’ud in Kampung Datuk Keramat.
Rostam was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of RM10,000.
It was also previously reported that Zairulnizam Rohani, a project manager at a highway concessionaire subsidiary, was charged on Thursday with three counts of accepting RM50,000 in bribes to help a construction company secure a contract to build and complete a highway two years ago.
The 47-year-old pleaded not guilty to the offences allegedly committed at a local bank branch in Taman Universiti Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru, on Dec 7, 12 and 13, 2023.
The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.