Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested three directors of a PR firm for allegedly paying bribes to win a marketing contract with Tourism Malaysia.
According to a report in Focus Malaysia, the directors of agency The IO Movement are accused of paying off officials to win the lucrative contract worth about MYR90 million.
The agency apparently submitted false documents and information on its tender and didn’t meet the technical and financial requirements.
The PR firm is relatively little known and immediately raised eyebrows once it was awarded the contract, as it didn’t even have a live website at the time.
It describes itself as a provider of consultancy services in public relations and communications.
According to people familiar with the matter, the three directors have been remanded in custody, and charges may soon follow.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has apparently identified the individuals who accepted the bribes and more arrests are expected.
