KOTA KINABALU: Nine contractors who submitted false bank statements in their bid for a canteen management contract worth RM200,000 were arrested by graft investigators in Tawau.

       Sources said the nine, aged 29 to 56, committed the offence while tendering for a two-year canteen management contract in 2017.

       It is understood that all the contractors involved, consisting of four women and five men, were arrested at 10am on Monday (March 28) at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Tawau office.

       Sabah MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy confirmed the arrest and said the case was being investigated under Section 471 of the Penal Code for falsifying a document.

       He said all the suspects would be charged in the Special Corruption Court in Tawau soon.

       Last week, he said that MACC officers in Keningau also arrested two contractors aged 25 and 32 for submitting false bank statements to bid for an RM5mil contract.

       He said the two suspects, a man and a woman, were arrested for allegedly submitting false bank account statements to obtain tenders for food supply services for primary and secondary boarding schools.

       Karunanithy also warned all contractors that submitting false documents for their bids to get contracts was an offence under the law.

       He then urged them to stop the illegal practice which has been detected happening often in Sabah.