Duo charged with offering bribe

KUALA LUMPUR: A driver of a heavy machinery was sentenced to 14 days’ jail and fined RM10,000, in default eight months’ jail, by the Sessions Court here yesterday for bribing an officer of the Solid Waste and Pulic Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp).

Judge Azura Alwi handed down the sentence on P. Elangovan, 57, after the man pleaded guilty to the charge, which was read out in Tamil by a court interpreter.

Elangovan was charged with offering RM500 bribe to SWCorp deputy director (management) Mohd Zaki Harry Susanto, 44, as an inducement to not take action against an owner of an illegal garbage dumping site for allegedly violating Section 71(1) of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing management Act 2007.

He was charged with committing the offence at an illegal dumping ground in Lorong Haji Hamzah, Segambut here at 2.30 pm on Oct 12 last year.

The charge, under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

In mitigation, Elangovan, who has three children, said he was remorseful and apologised to the court.

Prosecuting officer from MACC Wan Ahmad Nidzam Wan Omar prosecuted.

Meanwhile, in another Sessions Court, a company clerk pleaded not guilty to a charge of offering bribe of RM1,500 to a deputy director of operations of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Solid Waste Management Corporation.

S. Muthukuman, 47, made the plea before judge Allaudeen Ismail.

He was charged with offering the bribe to Mohd Zaki Harry Susanto, 44, as an inducement to not close a garbage separation site at Persiaran Segambut Tengah for allegedly committing an offence under 71(1) of of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing management Act 2007.

The offence was allegedly committed at the garbage separation site at Persiaran Segambut Tengah here at 4.25 pm on Oct 12 last year.

The court allowed Muthukuman, represented by lawyer K. Ashok, bail of R13,000 in one surety and also ordered him to surrender his passport to the court. The court set April 6 for mention. Wan Ahmad Nidzam also prosecuted in the case. Bernama