Ex-KL City Hall director gets 8 months’ jail, fine
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director (project management) Datuk Seri Syed Afendy Ali Syed Abid Ali was sentenced to eight months’ jail and a RM80,000 fine on eight counts of using his position to secure eight condominium units worth almost RM2 million.
Judge Allaudeen Ismail, in passing the sentence, ruled that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt in the case.
The court sentenced Syed Afendy, 56, to jail time and RM10,000 fine for each charge, with the jail term to run concurrently.
Allaudeen, however, allowed an appeal by Syed Afendy’s lawyer, Hamidi Mohd Noh, to delay the punishment until an appeal has been filed in the High Court.
The court, as a result, upheld the RM1 million bail on the accused, with his passport handed over to the court until the appeal process is completed.
According to the charge sheet, the accused, who was DBKL’s Economic Planning and Development Department director, had used his position to secure eight condominium units from Danau Lumayan Sdn Bhd.
The units, each worth RM249,990, were meant for four people — Minah Abdullah, 75, Mazwan Amin Mohd Noor, 46, Rodziah Abd Samad, 56, and Syed Ashraf Ali Syed Afendy Ali, 30.
The offences were committed at the department’s office between Sept 6 and Oct 16, 2014.
Syed Afendy was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of two years or a fine, or both upon conviction.
The accused, who appeared forlorn, had appealed for a lighter sentence, saying that his life was in shambles since his arrest.
“I’ve lost everything. Today, you can see for yourself that I’m in court only with my wife and child. I lost my friends. With my poor health (heart problems), I’ve lost 20kg throughout the duration of this case.
“I ask not to be sent to jail. “Even if I were to be fined, I am surrounded with debts,” he said.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, however, urged the court to mete out a suitable sentence as the accused had abused his position for personal gain.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted and freed Syed Afendy of a charge of using his position to secure a three-storey shoplot worth RM930,000 from Danau Lumayan Sdn Bhd for Rodziah.
He was the deputy secretary in Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s Finance Department at the time of the offence on March 2, 2009.
He was also acquitted and freed of nine counts under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, involving RM1.5 million.