Four Plead Guilty To Accepting Bribes

A Bentong Municipal Council assistant enforcement officer pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday to accepting a bribe in Sept last year.
 
Ahmad Razif Abdul Raof, 35, was charged under the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009 with obtaining RM500 from Gow Mor Meng as inducement to refrain from issuing a summons for illegal renovations at his shop lot, Mercury Pharmacy.

He faces up to 20 years in prison or not less than five times the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Judge Fathiyah Idris set bail at RM3,000 with one surety and fixed Jan 23 2013 for remention.

In the same court, Seh June Yew, 24, a visitor to the Genting Highlands casino, pleaded not guilty to offering a RM50 bribe to auxiliary policeman Jaspal Singh Santokh Singh in October last year.

He allegedly committed the offence to evade being detained for taking a girl below 21 years into the casino.

Seh was also charged under the MACC Act 2009 and faces the same sentence as Ahmad Razif, upon conviction.

Judge Fathiyah set bail at RM1,500 with one surety and fixed Jan 23 2013 for remention.
Meanwhile, another two cases in the same court, also under the MACC Act 2009, saw two policemen pleading guilty to three charges of accepting bribes in 2010 and this year.

Sgt Mohamad Sohaimy Arshad, 50, from the Criminal Investigations department of the Bera police head quarters was charged with receiving two bribes totalling M1,300 bribe on Jan 3 to unconditionally release Saiful Fazli Hanipah, a motorbike theft suspect.

He was allowed bail at RM2,000 with one surety for each charge and remention on Jan 28 2013.

Sgt Major Azizan Saad, 53, of the Temerloh police head quarters was charged with obtaining a RM500 bribe from Chew Kok Roon who was allegedly running an illegal money lending business, on Aug 17 2010 in Mentakab.

Both the suspects face up to 20 years in prison or not less than five times the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction under the MACC Act 2009.

The judge set bail at RM3,000 with one surety for Azizan and fixed Jan 23 2013 for remention.

All four cases were handled by MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Norazman Jaya. — Bernama

Source : Borneo Post

Malaysia Does Better in Corruption Index

Malaysia has moved up six notches to 54th place in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2012 which is conducted by Trans­parency International (TI).

The announcement made by Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) ranked Malaysia third among Asean countries, behind Singapore (5th) and Brunei (46th).

"Malaysia's position has improved slightly, staying in the mid-range average, indicating that many steps undertaken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak through the 
Government Transformation Prog­ramme (GTP) to fight corruption have shown results," said TI-M president Datuk Paul Low when announcing the CPI 2012.

This year, a total of 176 countries were assessed using an upgraded methodology.

Moving away from the old scoring system of one to 10, the new CPI scores range from zero to 100 with zero being most corrupt and 100 being corruption-free.

Malaysia scored 49 while Singa­pore scored 87 and Brunei, 55.

TI also stated that while none of the 176 countries in the list obtained a perfect score, two thirds of the countries scored below 50, indicating a serious corruption problem.

Low commended Malaysia for its commitment to fighting corruption as Malaysia was the only country assessed that included the CPI as part of its Key Performance Index (KPI) in fighting corruption.

He also warned that institutional corruption would harm and stunt the emerging Asean economy.

"The Asean economic community as a group must tackle corruption and if Malaysia aims to be a high income economy, we must resolve institutionalised corruption," he said.

The CPI measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist in a country through 13 different surveys and country assessments by independent institutions.

These assessments are conducted among experienced observers such as businessmen and country analysts.

Fighting Corruption National Key Results Area (NKRA) director D. Ravindran, who is from the Per­formance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), stated that the Malaysian 

Anti-Corruption Com­m­ission (MACC) and the Attorney-General's Chambers would conduct anti-corruption training for lawmakers next year.

Asli Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam wished for more government efforts to improve perception on corruption.

Source : AsiaOne

World Champion of Corruption

For so long, Malaysia has been in the domestic and international limelight as far as corruption is concerned.

However, it has never been humiliated and shamed by the international community wholesale like today.

Transparency International, ANI Washington, Hindustan Times and WSJ Live, to name a few, have all bestowed Malaysia the dubious honour of Champion of Corruption.

Much have been written, reported and more than 100 financial scandals exposed since 1983, beginning with the then world’s biggest banking financial loan scandal – the Bumiputera Malaysia Finance (BMF) which came with a murder suspense.

BMF’s internal auditor Jalil Ibrahim was found dead in a banana grove in Hong Kong in July 1983 when he was sent there to probe the scandal.

The federal government had to bailout BMF three times to a tune of RM2.5 billion to keep it afloat.

After 29 years, no one has been punished for the financial scandal and no one has been convicted for the murder.

That was 1983. What about today?

It is still the same as reflected by the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu who is linked to alleged corrupt financial practices over Malaysia’s Defence Ministry’s purchase of two French-made second hand Scorpene submarines at an inflated price of RM6.7 billion.

What is confirmed is that Altantuya was murdered by two police security officers who served Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Although the two policemen have been convicted for the murder and their case is pending appeal, what we amazingly still don’t know are these:

• What’s the motive for the murder. The presiding judge had the audacity to rule that the motive for the murder is irrelevant. Can any court in the world beat that?;

• Why did the murderers, after shooting Altantuya point blank on the head, need to use exclusive military grade C4 explosives to blow up her body. The plausible explanation for this is to destroy all DNA evidence as she was reported to be pregnant when she was killed. This begs the question: Whose child was Altantuya carrying?; and

• Why is the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government so fearful of the ongoing French court’s probe on alleged corrupt financial practices over the Scorpene purchases, to the ridiculous extent of barring French lawyers from entering the country to brief parliamentarians and Malaysians on the development of the case.

Rising federal debts

Malaysia is a country blessed with vast and rich natural resources, including oil and gas. But, after 55 years of BN-Umno rule, the country’s federal debt is at more than RM620 billion (including RM118 billion in off-budget liabilities or sovereign guarantees for private corporations like the Port Klang Free Zone and government-linked company loans ending 2011) against a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of RM881 billion or 70.4% of GDP.

This means the BN government is operating way above the legislated federal debt ceiling of 55% of GDP.

Although I have mentioned this many times over, there is surely a need to keep on reminding all Malaysians so that, when they go to the next general election, they can make an informed decision on what they must do to save Malaysia from an economic disaster of a bankrupt nation.

Congratulations Najib. The whole world now knows you are leading the most corrupt nation on earth.

Source : FreeMalaysiaToday

Malaysia Is World Champion In Corruption

TI-M president: Malaysians Have No Conviction To Fight Corruption

Malaysians rather pay their way out of trouble despite knowing corruption is wrong.
Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Paul Low said Malaysians were aware of corruption but had no conviction to fight it.

“I believe as much as they are aware (of corruption), when faced with a situation, they will probably pay their way out of trouble because to a certain extent, corruption has become a way of life,” he said after launching a walk against corruption at Taman Tasik Perdana yesterday.

In citing a 2010 Global Corruption Barometer survey conducted by TI-M, Low said that it found one in 10 Malaysians had paid a bribe.

However, he believed the actual number could be higher at two or three to 10.

He said another survey conducted with businessmen found one out of two have lost contracts or sales due to non-payment of bribes.

“We are afraid if nothing is done to tackle corruption, it can be endemic and institutionalised,” he said.

He said Malaysians should change their attitude by being firm and say no when someone solicited bribes.

He said all stakeholders had to fight against corruption and uphold integrity, with society playing the role of a watchdog.

“We don't pay, we don't bribe. If someone ask for a bribe or extort from us, we have to inform the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission),” he said.

He paid tribute to the Government's seriousness in tackling graft, saying that Malaysia was likely the only country in the world to use the transparency index as part of its Key Performance Index (KPI).

He said the Government had also passed the Whistleblowing Protection Act, uploaded names of those charged with corruption on MACC's website and set up a whistleblowing hotline.

“Additionally, 14 courts to handle corruption cases are being established as well as getting companies to sign the Corporate Integrity Pledge to uphold anti-corruption principles.
“It shows we are prepared to tackle corruption head-on,” he said.

Source : The Star

RTD officers claim trial to graft charge

BUTTERWORTH (Dec 10, 2012): Two Road Transport Department (RTD) officials were charged at the Sessions Court here today for accepting a RM300 bribe. 

Assistant enforcement officer V. Chandrasegeran, 42, was alleged to have accepted the money from lorry driver P. Murugan as inducement not to take action against the latter for worn-out tyres. 

 He was charged with committing the offence on Sept 14 at Lorong Perusahaan 10, Prai Industrial Estate, Prai, around 8pm. 

The charge is under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694) which is read together with Section 24 of the same Act and carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence and fine not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher. 

The accused claimed trial and Sessions Court judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi set RM6,000 bail with one surety after defence counsel A. Chandrasegaran told the court his client has aged parents to take care of. 

At another court, assistant enforcement officer Farid Abdullah, 27, was charged for abetting in the same case. 

Sessions court judge Nabisha Ibrahim set bail at RM6, 000 after the accused claimed trial to the charge. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mohd Firdaus Sek-man prosecuted in both cases and had applied that the cases be heard in Meor Sulaiman's court with Jan 21 fixed for mention.

Source : The Sun Daily

Survey: One in 10 Has Paid A Bribe

Most Malaysians would rather pay their way out of trouble than join the fight against corruption.

Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Paul Low said yesterday despite high awareness, many people still lacked the conviction to take a stand against corrupt practices.

"When forced by a situation (which requires them to give bribes), many people still choose to pay. It's almost become a way of life," he said after launching the TI-M Walk Against Corruption at the Lake Gardens here.

According to Low, a 2010 survey conducted by TI-M had found that at least one in 10 Malaysians had paid a bribe, while half of all businesses had lost contracts or clients as a result of graft.

He called on the public to play a greater role in combating graft, stressing that the struggle against corruption could not be fought by organisations such as TI-M or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission alone.

"It starts with a small act. Just don't pay. And if you really want to take it further, report those responsible to the authorities."

Low said studies had proven that countries that did not tolerate corruption often enjoyed higher incomes and higher standards of living.

"In some other countries, however, nearly a third of a person's income goes to paying bribes. When a society reaches that state, it's a sure sign of a country's decline -- this is why we cannot allow corruption to continue."

More than 200 people joined in the walk, organised in conjunction with the United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day.

Source : New Straits Times

Malaysian Firms Lose Deals Due To Bribery

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 – Malaysia tops the list in a Transparency International (TI) survey of 30 countries where companies felt they had lost deals because they did not pay bribes.

The Bribery Payers Survey was carried out locally by pollsters Gallup among 101 companies that deal with the private and public sector.

“Fifty per cent say ‘yes’, which is very high,” Datuk Paul Low, the president of TI’s Malaysian chapter, said at a press conference today.

“I think this should be a cause of concern for us,” he said, adding that it suggests corruption is deeply entrenched in the country’s system and institutions.

The question asked was: “During the last 12 months, do you think that your company has failed to win a contract or gain new business because a competitor has paid a bribe?”

Malaysia has the highest score at 50 per cent, followed by Mexico and Indonesia at 48 and 47 per cent respectively.

Japan had the lowest number of companies that believed they had lost business due to bribery at two per cent, while Singapore and South Korea scored nine and 11 per cent respectively.

In the same survey, Malaysia received a rating of 4.1 when the respondents were asked for their opinion on how common it is for public officials to demand or accept bribes.

Malaysia also scored a rating of 4.3 when those polled were asked: “How common is the misuse of public funds by high-ranking public officials and politicians?”

For these two questions, the rating is on a scale of one to five, with one indicating ‘never’ and five indicating ‘very common’.

When asked to rate the Putrajaya’s effectiveness in the fight against corruption in the private sector, 75 per cent felt the government was ineffective, while six per cent said it was effective.

According to Low, TI had chose the 30 countries because of the high level of international trade and investment in their countries.

Source : The Malaysian Insider

Malaysia's Corruption Barometer Up From 48 to 49 Percent

Based on Transparency International (TI) surveys, Malaysia's Corruption Barometer (CB) improved from 48 percent last year to 49 percent this year, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz.

Nazri, who is also minister in charge of the National Key Result Area (NKRA) on Corruption said TI's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) on Malaysia, however, dropped from 4.4 last year to 4.3 this year.

"This mixed result shows that more work on corruption needs to be done," he said in a statement issued by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), here, today.

He said the CB independently surveyed the Malaysian public's views or experiences of corruption and the results were encouraging, with 49 per cent of the people perceiving the government's fight against corruption as being effective.

He said this was an improvement over last year's score of 48 per cent.

"This proves that the building blocks that have been put in place in 2009 and 2010 are beginning to address the issue of petty corruption, which is what affects the public in their daily lives.

"Some of the initiatives were the Name and Shame Database, to act as a deterrent to corruption offenders, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and the establishment of compliance units within the five key enforcement agencies."

As for the CPI on Malaysia which decreased from 4.4 to 4.3 this year, Nazri said this put Malaysia in 60th position compared to 56th in the previous year.

"It used data from 12 surveys with the Political Risk Services Country Guide, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index and Transparency International's Bribe Payer Index (TI-BPI) being included as new sources in 2011," he said.

Nazri said TI's BPI was conducted in 28 countries only and this was the first time it had been introduced into the CPI.

The BPI is a new survey conducted to measure the propensity of Malaysians paying bribes to other parties outside Malaysia.

"If this was not taken into account, Malaysia's score would jump to 4.5 and the country's ranking would remain at 56," Nazri said.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed in the same statement said efforts had already been initiated to combat grand corruption, with the MACC putting in place a transformation programme which, among other things, aimed to strengthen its forensic investigative capability.

"MACC has in fact begun a transformation programme that is beginning to be implemented in phases throughout the institution.

"One of the aims is to improve forensics in order to tackle the complex systemic cases.

"The MACC has to work in tandem with all other enforcement agencies as well as prosecuting bodies in order to tackle the issue of grand corruption from an enforcement angle," he said. -- BERNAMA

Source : New Straits Times

Perception of Corruption Does Not Reflect Reality of Malaysia’s Growth

The "overwhelmed" perception of corruption does not reflect the reality of Malaysia as its socio-economy has been growing steadily.
 
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) senior fellow, Anis Yusal Yusoff said the country had performed well in receiving investment from foreign and local entrepreneurs, generating good economic growth and good human development rate.

He said despite Malaysia's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score of 4.3 in the Transparency International Report 2011, Malaysia's growth rates had been consistently healthy over the past 12 years, averaging 4.8 percent year on year growth.

"Our brief survey in this study shows that Malaysia's investment rate, growth rate, as well as human development rate are not going the way it should if Malaysia is truly as corrupt as perceived," he said in his paper titled "Combating Corruption: Understanding Anti-Corruption Initiatives in Malaysia".

The 72-page paper was delivered at the "Eradicating Corruption: How Successful Have We Been?" Forum which was closed by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Academy, here, on Monday.

Anis Yusal said Malaysia experienced a very quick recovery in 2010 with the second quarter growth reaching above 10 percent.

He said Malaysia also attracted high levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) at a sustained level.

"Investment rates are more strongly associated with perceived corruption than other economic indicators and usually one would expect that higher corruption would deter FDI."

He said the CPI score indicated that a heightened attention could have triggered among members of the public as well as their awareness of the negative impact of corruption on society and the economy.

"In one sense, this trend is positive. It is encouraging to see the public exercise more oversight on this important issue and for them to make the government more accountable," he said.

He added that there was possibility that the increased public perception on corruption was caused by concerted campaigns by politicians to accuse the other party as more corrupt than they really were. - Bernama 

Source : The Star

Probe Into DJ’s Claim of Cop Asking Bribe

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar is upset over an allegation that a policeman had asked for a bribe from a deejay.

He has ordered officers to investigate the claim and take action against the policeman involved if the claim was found to be true.

“If he is found guilty, I’ll sack him,” he said, adding that policemen should also pay for any wrongdoing.

Ismail said policemen would face dismissal if they broke the law and tarnish the image of the force.

It was reported that Suria FM deejay Tyzo had claimed that a traffic policeman asked him for a bribe for committing a traffic offence.

Tyzo, whose full name is Tuah Zoqarnain Idris, claimed that the incident happened on Monday when he was stopped at a roadblock along Jalan Sunway.

He said he was found to be driving a car with heavily tinted glass.

He claimed that when he informed the policeman that he was a media personnel on duty, the policeman let him go.

Tyzo managed to jot down the name and number of the officer concerned.

Source : The Star

Previous News - Deejay - Cop Asked Me For Bribe

Deejay: Cop Asked Me For Bribe

Suria FM deejay Tyzo has claimed that a traffic policeman tried to ask him for a bribe after stopping him for committing a traffic offence.

Tyzo, whose full name is Tuah Zoqarnain Idris, said the incident happened on Monday when he was stopped at a roadblock around Jalan Sunway.

He said he was found to be driving a car with heavily-tinted glass.

“The officer gave me a choice accept a summons or resolve it otherwise. I apologised for the offence.

However, he again told me to make a decision, which I took to mean bribery.

“I then informed him that I was a media personnel on duty and that I should report him to his superiors.

“He was shocked and he just let me go,” he told mStar Online, the Malay-language online portal of The Star yesterday.

Tyzo managed to jot down the name and number of the officer concerned.

He said he had written to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and the Malaysian

Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The deejay shared his views on the matter through the “Citra Muzik di Suria FM” that was aired last Monday.

Tyzo said that he had received a call from a senior police officer from the Bukit Aman's disciplinary division, who asked him for more details. The MACC had also called him up, he said.

Source : The Star

Deputy V-C Denies Asking For And Accepting Bribe

A Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) deputy vice-chancellor pleaded not guilty at a Sessions Court here to soliciting and accepting a bribe of RM15,000 from a contractor in 2010.

Prof Ir Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Samad, 52, who heads the university’s academic and international division, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Sessions court judge Mohamad Haidar Abdul Aziz.

For the first charge, Dr Abdul Aziz was said to have asked for a bribe of RM15,000 from contractor Mohammad Anal Talhah, 41, in December 2010 as an inducement to help him obtain a contract under the university’s development and building property management division.

Avoiding the cameras: Dr Abdul Aziz trying to hide his face from press photographers at the Sessions Court in Johor Baru. -Bernama

For the second offence, Dr Abdul Aziz was charged with accepting the bribe of RM15,000 and inserting the sum into his personal bank account on Jan 28, 2011.

The charges, under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, carrry a jail term of not more than two years, a fine of RM10,000 or five times the bribe amount, whichever is higher.

Dr Abdul Aziz was also alternatively charged with accepting the bribe under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries up to two years in jail or a fine or both

He also claimed trial to the alternative charge.

MACC prosecuting officer Abdul Ghafar Ab Latif offered bail at RM30,000 for all the charges.

Dr Abdul Aziz’s lawyers Abdul Halem Mohamad Husin and Shahrul Syazwan Salehin asked the court to consider lowering the bail as Dr Abdul Aziz was still providing for his wife, two ex-wives and six children.

Mohamad Haidar set bail at RM20,000 and fixed the next date for mention on Nov 9.
Dr Abdul Aziz posted bail.

Source : The Star

Ex-immigration Deputy DG Cleared of Corruption

The Appeals Court here Monday cleared former Immigration deputy director-general Yusof Abu Bakar of 14 counts of corruption involving RM121,500.

Justice Datuk Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad chairing a three-member panel ruled that there was no merit in the prosecution's appeal to quash the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision to acquit and discharge Yusof of the charges.

In unanimously dismissing the prosecution's appeal Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy said there were many loopholes in the prosecution's case.

Justices Datuk Linton Albert and Datuk Mohtarudin Baki were the other two judges on the panel.
Yusof was charged with receiving between RM500 and RM18,500 from a marketing manager and a third party as inducement to approve the extension of social visit passes for Chinese nationals between March 21 and July 7, 2008.

He was alleged to have committed the offences at his office in Putrajaya, at the Federal Hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang and at the Caltex petrol station in Jalan Pudu.

Yusof was sentenced to six years' jail and fined more than RM600,000 after he was found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in December 2010 of the 14 corruption charges.

On Feb 29 this year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed his appeal to quash his conviction, jail term and fine.

Deputy Public Prosecutor from Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairi appeared for the prosecution. - Bernama

Source : The Star

Former Alcatel Employee Charged With Bribery

A former employee of Alcatel Network Systems (M) Sdn Bhd was ordered to enter her defence on a corruption charge involving RM25,000.

Sessions judge Rozilah Salleh said in her ruling yesterday that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against Radziah Ani, 50, who allegedly offered the bribe to Telekom Malaysia Bhd assistant manager Mohd Asri Idris as an inducement to obtain information on a tender exercise more than six years ago.

The bribe was allegedly for Mohd Asri to provide tender information on the supply of Wideband Code Division Multiple Access Mobile Communications System and the Provision of Works Phase 2.

The bribe was given by way of an Alcatel cash cheque. Radziah was alleged to have committed the offence at the Shangri-la Hotel in Jalan Sultan Ismail on Feb 17, 2006.

Yesterday, Radziah’s defence lawyer Sarah Abishegam said that her client and 25 other witnesses would be testifying for the defence.

The court fixed September 19 for continuation of trial.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Wan Ahmad Nidzam said that nine witnesses testified for the prosecution’s case.

Radziah faces a maximum 20 years jail and a fine of RM10,000, or not less than five times the amount involved in the offence, whichever is higher.

Radziah was charged under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 in July last year following reports that Malaysian authorities had started to probe accusations by US officials that Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent had given kickbacks to government officials in Latin America and Asia, including Malaysia, between December 2001 and June 2006.

Source : New Straits Times

Former GM Pleads Not Guilty to Bribery

A former company general manager claimed trial in a Sessions Courtto to accepting a bribe of RM2,900 last year.

Azman Anas who previously worked at Koperasi Sinarjaya Bandar Tenggara Kulaijaya Berhad pleaded not guilty to the charge Tuesday.

He was alleged to have received the money at around 12.40pm on Oct 20 last year from Oong Ah Lee as an inducement to approve an application to apply for a rock removing permit from Mukim Ulu Sungai Johor.

Azman was charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti- Curruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

Sessions judge Mohamad Haldar Abdul Aziz set bail at RM7,000 for the offence.
Azman posted bail.

MACC prosecuting officer Noor Fazlin Hamdan prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Noorul Ameen.

Source : The Star

JPJ Officer Jailed And Fined For Bribery

A Road Transport Department enforcement assistant was jailed a year and fined RM20,000 on two counts of bribery.

Norazha Izwan Mohd Aripin, 27, was found guilty by the Sessions Court here after he was called to enter his defence on both charges.

Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain held that the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

“The court found that the accused’s defence was a mere denial. It is an afterthought,” he said in his judgment.
Pleading for leniency, his lawyer Mohd Shahrullah Khan Nawab Zadah Khan said his client, whose wife was pregnant, was remorseful of his action and was a first offender.

Prosecuting officer Mohd Nur Lokman Samingan asked for an appropriate sentence to serve as a lesson for others and to take into account public interest.

Norazha Izwan was convicted of asking a bribe of RM1,000 from Ooi Aik Keng as an inducement not to take action against him for an expired road tax offence near a petrol station in Jalan Kuching at 5pm on Jan 4 last year.

He faced a second charge of trying to obtain a bribe of RM1,000 from Ooi for the same offence in front of a bank in Setapak at 8pm on the same day.

Source : The Star

2 Men Charged With Bribery Found Guilty

Two men were sentenced by the Shah Alam Sessions Court to one day jail and fined RM30,000 for their involvement in the supply of medical equipment to University Malaya Medical Centre.

Shahzan Ahmad, 36, and Misra Nedri Raflis, 34, were sentenced by judge Asmadi Hussin after they pleaded guilty to three charges. 

 

Shahzan Ahmad, a former UMMC assistant administration officer, admitted to receiving bribes totalling RM25,000 from Orion Shipping & Forwarding Sdn Bhd (OSF), a company which he knew was involved in bidding for a contract in supplying medical equipment.   

 

He committed the offences in Petaling Jaya on April 28, 2006, Oct 9, 2006 and April 10, 2007.

 

Misra, a manager of OSF, admitted to abetting Shahzan in obtaining the bribes. 

Source : New Straits Times

Temerloh CID Chief Charged with Bribery

The Temerloh CID chief was charged in the Sessions Court here with accepting a RM2,000 bribe from a massage parlour operator.

Deputy Supt R. Sundralingam, 52, of Taman KSM pleaded not guilty.
He is alleged to have committed the offence in a restaurant in Jalan Temerloh, Mentakab, at about 5.25pm on March 23.

DSP Sundralingam is said to have accepted RM2,000 from Yow Yock Tai as an inducement not to take action against him and five workers for operating an illegal massage parlour.

He was charged under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 24 of the same Act.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the amount of bribes involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Sessions judge Fathiyah Idris yesterday granted the accused bail of RM4,000 in one surety and fixed trial for five days from Oct 1.

Meanwhile, Temerloh OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Nor Mansor said he had been informed of the matter.
“For the time being, DSP Sundralingam is still the district CID chief.

“We will inform Bukit Aman of his case and await further instructions,” he said.

Source : The Star

Ex-Immigration DG’s Acquittal of Bribery Charges Upheld

The High Court here upheld the decision by a Sessions Court to acquit Former Immigration Department director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don (pic) of charges of bribery.

High Court judge Justice Mohamed Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled Thursday that there was no error in the Sessions Court Judge Rosbiahanin Arifin's judgement that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case.

Meeting his lawyer outside the court, Wahid, 59, thanked his counsel Datuk V Sithambaram for finally clearing his name.

"I had full faith in the judiciary system and am very grateful of the decision today," said a smiling Wahid.
The Session Court here acquitted Wahid of his charges on Oct 15 2010, however the MACC filed an appeal against the decision on Oct 18.

Wahid had pleaded not guilty on Aug 19, 2008, to having agreed to accept a RM60,000 bribe from businessman Datuk Low Chang Hian as part payment to expedite the approval of visa applications for 4,337 Bangladeshis, to enable them to enter Malaysia.

He was accused of committing the offence at Jalan Lembah Ledang, off Jalan Duta here, at 10.15pm on July 10, 2008, while still a director-general.

Low, who is the key witness, had admitted during the trial that a meeting was arranged by the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) on July 10, 2008, to trap Wahid.

He also agreed with Sithambaram's suggestion that Wahid had never asked for RM60,000 at anytime and admitted that he had been given the option by ACA to be either a witness in the trial or risk being charged in court.

Source : The Star

Cops Claim Trial Over Bribery Charge

Two police constables claimed trial to two charges of bribery over just RM200 in a Sessions Court here.
Herman Latui and Mohammad Hassim Mustapa, both 26, were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 with agreeing to seek a bribe of RM200 from one Ramuddin Masdar.

They face a second charge, under Section 17(b) of the same Act, for agreeing to accept the RM200 bribe from Ramuddin.

The bribe was an inducement to prevent both the accused from issuing a summons for a traffic offence Ramuddin committed.

MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Nur Lokman requested for bail to be set at RM6,000.
Counsel Mohd Shahrullah Khan pleaded for a lower bail, saying that his clients could not afford a high bail.

Herman, he said, earned RM1,000 while Mohammad Hassim earned RM600.

Judge Rozilah Salleh set bail at RM5,000 with one surety each and fixed May 2 for next mention.

Source : The Star

Ex-Sime Darby Senior GM Gets 27 Years for Corruption

A former senior general manager of Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd was sentenced to 27 years' jail and fined RM894,400 on five counts of corruption involving over RM180,000.

Sessions Court judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain made the decision after the defence failed to cast reasonable doubt on all the charges against Md Zaki Othman, at the close of the defence case.
Zaki, 50, who was based in Pasir Gudang, Johor looked calm when the sentence was read. The court ordered him to serve another 112 months' jail if he failed to pay the fine.

Ahmad Zamzani said the defence case was merely based on denial and regarded Zaki's explanation as dishonest and unreasoanable.

"The alibi given by a defence witness is baseless, unreasonable and failed to destroy the perception that bribery in the form of wristwatches and furniture were corruption," said the judge.

However, the court allowed suspension of jail sentence pending appeal in the High Court and ordered Zaki to surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearest police station once a month.

Zamzani also ordered that the bail of RM45,000 imposed on Zaki be raised to RM70,000 with one surety.

For the first charge, Zaki was sentenced to four years' jail and fined RM168,000 or 18 months' jail and for the second charge, five years' jail and fined RM108,500 or 20 months' jail.

He was sentenced to five years' jail and fined RM153,000 or 20 months for the third charge and six years' jail and fined RM164,900 or 24 months' jail for the fourth charge.


For the fifth charge, Zaki was sentenced to seven years' jail and fined RM300,000 or 30 months' jail.

The court ordered that all the sentences run consecutively.

For the first charge, Zaki was alleged to have received RM33,600 bribe in the form of furniture from Abdul
Salam Ahmad, at his house in Jalan Austin Perdana 2/11, Taman Austin Perdana here at 10am on Dec 14, 2007.

The money was to help the contractor obtain a letter of intent (LOI) dated Jan 11, 2008 for the project "EPCIC for MOQ Package 16, BE Process and BG Utility Platforms worth RM23,901.959 for Duplex Energy Sdn Bhd.

The charge under Section 11 (a) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1997 carries the maximum jail sentence of 20 years' and fine not less five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

For the second charge, Zaki was alleged to have received a Rolex wristwatch worth RM21,700 from Abdul Salam at the same address at 9pm on March 10, 2009, as inducement to help approve and expedite progress payment for the contract "EPCIC for MOQ Package 16, BE Process and BG Utility Platforms" at Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd, Pasir Gudang and sub-contract project Kumang & Tangga Barat Cluster Development Project (Phase 1) for Duplex Energy Sdn Bhd.

The charge under Section 17 (a) of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 carries the maximum 20 years' jail sentence and fine five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

For the third charge, Zaki was alleged to have asked for bribe in the form of IWC wristwatch worth RM32,980 from Abdul Salam at Hour Glass Sdn Bhd, Lot 10 Shopping Centre in Jalan Sultan Ismail here between 1.30pm and 4.30pm between March 13 and 15, 2009.

It was as inducement to help the contractor to obtain LOI for a small contract, Kumang & Tangga Barat Cluster Development Project (Phase 1) by the contractor's company that deals in oil and gas engineering.

For the fourth charge, Zaki was accused of receiving bribe in the form of a Hublot wristwatch worth RM60,000 from Abdul Salam at 10am between May 13, 2009 and May 15, 2009, as inducement to approve and expedite progress payment for the contract "EPCIC for MOQ Package 16, BE Process and BG Utility Platforms' at Sime Darby Engineering Sdn Bhd, Pasir Gudang and the small contract, Kumang & Tangga Barat Cluster Development Project (Phase 1) by the contractor's company.

The third and fourth charges under Section 16 (a) (A) of MACC Act 2009 carry the maximum jail sentence of 20 years' and fine five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

For the fifth charge, Zaki was alleged to have asked Abdul Salam for a RM33,600 bribe in the form of a furniture set at Europe Asia Furniture Expo Sdn Bhd, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya near here on Nov 28, 2007.

He was charged under Section 11 (a) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1997 that carries maximum jail sentence of 20 years' and fine five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher. Earlier, Zaki's counsel T.Vijayasandran pleaded for a light sentence as his client had lost his job and asked that the jail sentences run concurrently.

DPP Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi of MACC asked the court for a deterrent sentence as being a senior general manager at Sime Darby, Zaki should show a good example to the organization and his subordinates.

"With a salary of RM39,000 per month, it is unreasonable of him to commit corruption and the case should not have happened," he said.

The prosecution produced 29 witnesses and the defence eight witnesses including the accused who were called to give testimony during the hearing beginning Feb last year. BERNAMA

Source : The Star

MCMC Deputy Director Charged With Abetment in Bribery Case

A deputy director of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission was charged in a Sessions Court with abetment to solicit a RM250,000 bribe.

Noor Mohamed Khan Mohamed Mastan, 39, of MCMC's content and enforcement division, claimed trial to abetting his wife Suraya Hani Ahmad Zaki and managing director Noorshidin Mohd Noor in soliciting the bribe from Siaga Informatics Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Mohd Shukri Othman.

(Suraya Hani, an accounts manager, and Noorshidin are working in different companies).

They allegedly solicited the bribe for helping Siaga Informatics obtain a letter of award for the designing, implementing, testing and commissioning of MCMC's digital forensics lab at the MCMC's office.

The offence was allegedly committed at Siaga Informatics Sdn Bhd, Suite 2-6, Level 6, Jalan USJ 9/5T,
Subang Business Centre in Subang Jaya at 10.25am on March 14.

Suraya Hani and Noorshidin were also charged with a similar offence in another court.

Source : The Star

Ex-senior Immigration Man’s Bribery Conviction Quashed

A former senior Immigration officer was a relieved man after the High Court quashed his 2008 conviction on 14 bribery charges involving RM121,500.

High Court judge Justice Ghazali Cha dismissed the charges and sentence against former Immigration Department deputy director-general I (Control Division) Yusof Abu Bakar, 56, saying the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case as the evidence was largely circumstantial.

He said a key witness, Khoo Nee Bon, 41, was a witness with an interest as he was involved in the case and could have been charged if he did not testify.

“Thus his testimony should be taken with caution,” he said.

He said the prosecution had also failed to call several important parties as witnesses, including an alleged runner for Yusof called Atuk, or any of the over 200 Chinese nationals said to have offered bribes to him.

Dressed smartly in a black suit, Yusof expressed relief after the court’s verdict was announced.

In 2008, Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Katar sentenced Yusof to six years in prison and a cumulative fine of RM619,500 for the charges under section 11(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.

However, his counsel Mohammed Azmi Mohd Said successfully applied for a stay of execution.

Yusof was alleged to have accepted RM121,500 from a senior sales manager and a third party as an inducement to approve the extension of social visit passes for Chinese nationals.

The offences were allegedly committed at various locations here, Petaling Jaya and his office in Precinct 2, Putrajaya, between March 21 and July 7, 2008.

Source : The Star

NFC probe should begin at the top

Investigations into the National Feedlot Centre scandal must begin at the top to include decision makers involved in awarding the cattle-farming project, said PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

In calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter, Mahfuz said the various allegations directed towards the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its management, was merely the result of a "questionable" decision-making process.

NFC is headed by Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Ismail, who is the husband of Women, Community and Families Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

"This includes the approval of a RM250 million soft loan to fund the project, without following procedures set out by the Finance Ministry," claimed Mahfuz during a press conference at PAS headquarters here today.

Mahfuz said an RCI should be set up to investigate all angles into the scandal, despite an ongoing probe by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission into allegations of mismanagement and corruption in administration of NFC.

NFC was awarded the cattle-farming project in Gemas by a Cabinet High Impact Projects Committee in September 2006. The project's objective was to meet 40% local beef demands.

The committee, which was chaired by then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, included Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister at that time.

The Public Accounts Committee had reportedly confirmed that funds were channeled to the corporation between 2008 and 2009, despite the official loan agreement only being signed in 2010.

Shahrizat had on Thursday applied for three weeks' leave from all ministerial duties to allow for a full investigation by the MACC, following repeated calls for her resignation from various quarters.

Najib had also on Saturday announced that NFC's assets has been temporarily frozen, pending the outcome of the MACC's probe.

Mahfuz however questioned whether the move to freeze NFC's assets is enough to ensure that all lost funds can be recovered.

He said the government should also freeze the assets of NFC's Board of Directors, alleging that funds allocated for the project had been invested in other personal ventures.

NFC chief executive Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh had in a statement over the weekend insisted that the freeze has not impacted the company's daily operations.

Source : The Sunndaily

Related News : Freeze of NFC assets too little too late, says PKR Wanita chief

‘Business as usual’ for NFC despite assets being frozen

Despite having its assets frozen, it is “business as usual” for the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC).

Its executive director Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh said beef would continue to be supplied and all orders would also be fulfilled.

In reassuring its clients, employees and vendors, Wan Shahinur said there was no disruption to its daily operations.

“In fact, our assets have been frozen by the relevant authorities since December, last year.

“In our efforts to facilitate smooth and thorough investigations, we have extended our fullest co-operation from the outset.

“As such, I would like to reassure clients, vendors as well as our employees that they would continue to be served and gainfully employed,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The statement added that NFC supplied beef to more than 160 customers, including hypermarkets, supermarkets, mini markets, wet markets, processed meat manufacturers, hotels, restaurants and cafes.

The company also clarified that its 4,500 heads of cattle at its centre in Negri Sembilan would continue to be nurtured to meet the country’s beef supply target and objectives of the National Meat Policy.

It had also received a further import shipment of 1,500 heads of cattle from Australia.

Source : The Star

Related News : NFC to assist in probe despite freeze

Police conclude NFC probe

Police have concluded investigations into the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) issue, with the findings to be submitted to the deputy public prosecutor today.
Federal Commercial Crime police director Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said police conducted a thorough investigation and recorded 54 statements, including those from the NFC.

“Now, we will submit the report to the DPP for his decision on the next course of action,” he said yesterday.

Syed Ismail said police investigations were based on claims of cheating and criminal breach of trust.

On the frozen assets, Syed Ismail said NFC’s assets were frozen to facilitate police investigations at the start of the probe.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had on Saturday confirmed that NFC’s assets had been temporarily frozen.

NFC is also being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which had raided its headquarters.

MACC has confirmed that it was finalising its investigation papers on the case before making recommendations to the Attorney- General’s Chambers.

NFC, in a statement yesterday, said the company’s operations continued uninterrupted.

Its executive director, Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh, said it was business as usual at the company as only its assets were frozen.


Source : New Straits Times

Related News : Business as usual’ for NFC despite assets being frozen

Freeze of NFC assets too little too late, says PKR Wanita chief

The freezing of the assets of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) by the government is a case of too little too late, said PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamarudin.

She said action should have been taken on the NFC the moment allegations of mismanagement emerged regarding the cattle-raising venture.

"If action was taken then, the government would look more professional. They should not have dodged the issue," said Zuraidah told theSun yesterday, adding that the matter has since become worse due to the repeated exposes.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had reportedly announced the temporary freeze on Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Agriculture Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar have been appointed to monitor the NFC.

Allegations of mismanagement in the NFC came to light last October when the Auditor-General's report revealed that the corporation had failed to achieve its objectives.

The Opposition then alleged that irregularities existed in the RM250 million government allocation to the NFC, including, among others, that the NFC used RM5 million in public funds to buy a Mercedes-Benz and land in Putrajaya.

Other allegations included the disburesement of RM588,585 to companies belonging to the family of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. NFC chairman, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, is Shahrizat's husband.

She expressed fear that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission would not do a proper investigation into the scandal.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee supported the freezing of the NFC's assets.

"The step is a reflection of the seriousness of how the government is now handling this issue, and we are hopeful the MACC will conduct a complete and fair investigation leaving no stone unturned," Lim told theSun yesterday.

"We can take comfort in the prosecution and conviction of Khir Toyo as a sign that the government is looking at combating corruption, perhaps not at the level the people would like it to, but it is unfair to say the government is not doing anything about corruption," added Lim.

Meanwhile, NFC issued a statement yesterday stating that its operations would not be interrupted by the order.

"Business is as usual in the company. Beef will continue to be supplied and all orders will be fulfilled. There is no interruption or disruption," said its executive director Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh.

Source : The Sun Daily

Related News : NFC to assist in probe despite freeze

NFC to assist in probe despite freeze

The National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) had been informed earlier that its assets might be frozen to facilitate investigations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010.


"It is okay because the government needs all the details for investigations to be carried out.

"The move is a precautionary step by the government to carry out the investigations," said NFC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Ismail on the government's move to freeze the company's assets.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday the NFC's assets had been frozen for the time being to facilitate the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's probe into allegations of financial improprieties in the running of the company.

Salleh said the NFC would cooperate with the government until the investigations were over.

"We will wait for the results," he said, adding that they would issue a formal statement today.

He added that they would continue to manage and feed the cattle in their national feedlot centre in Gemas, Negri Sembilan.

The centre currently has 400 head of cattle that were brought in from Australia.

The corporation has a 30-year contract with the government for cattle farming, as part of the government's food security programme.

Asked about the three-week leave taken by his wife, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, from her ministerial duties, Salleh said her application for leave had been approved.

"We will do all we can to cooperate in the investigations now," he said. By Minderjeet Kaur


Source : News Straits Time

Related News : NFC Datuk Rearrested