A source said that apart from the director, a project consultant and a director of a construction firm were also arrested at the MACC’s headquarters yesterday evening.

All three suspects are in their 40s.

According to the source, the contractors had already been appointed by the ministry and they allegedly gave the bribes in order to speed up the processing of claims they had filed, obtain the ministry’s approval for variation orders, and get a time extension for the project.

“The suspects are also believed to have received kickbacks such as luxury items for personal use, on top of the monthly bribes,” the source said.

The ministry’s division director has been remanded for seven days while the other two suspects are under remand for three.

Confirming the arrests, MACC senior director of investigation Hishamuddin Hashim said the trio are being probed under Section 17A of the MACC Act.