Ex-ministry sec-gen cleared of 10 graft charges

PUTRAJAYA: Former Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut (pic) is a free man now after the Court of Appeal cleared him of 10 corruption charges involving RM59,390.60.

A three-man panel, comprising Justices Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi, Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli and Datuk Kamardin Hashim, unanimously dismissed the prosecution’s final appeal against Abdul Hanan’s acquittal.

The panel affirmed the decisions of the Sessions Court and High Court in discharging and acquitting the 66-year-old at the end of the prosecution’s case without ordering him to enter his defence.

Justice Ahmadi, who chaired the panel, said the prosecution’s appeal did not have merits and the court also agreed with the submissions made by defence counsel Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Deputy public prosecutor K. Mangai sought the court to allow the appeal and send the matter back to the Sessions Court for the accused to enter his defence.

In 2009, Abdul Hanan was charged with 10 counts of receiving bribes in the form of blank cheques belonging to Adam Omar as gratification for approving a TechnoFund for his company, Global Goodway (M) Sdn Bhd.

The offence was allegedly committed at Section 17, Petaling Jaya, between Dec 1 and Dec 15, 2008.

Abdul Hanan was alleged to have cashed the cheques for certain amounts between Dec 15, 2008 and Feb 27, 2009, among others, for payments for house repair (RM15,024), tithes (RM25,000), credit cards (RM9,275), assessment and quit rent (RM15) and as deposit in his wife’s account (RM8,000).

Subsequently, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged him on March 30, 2012, without calling for his defence after 34 prosecution witnesses testified.

The prosecution then filed an appeal at the High Court but lost the case last year, prompting it to appeal to the appellate court.

Earlier, Muhammad Shafee submitted that the money was a loan and it was agreed by both Abdul Hanan and Adam that his client would repay the loan once he received his gratuity after his retirement. — Bernama