Graft suspects brought to six Sessions Courts nationwide
A NATIONWIDE blitz against graft was underway at six Sessions Courts yesterday.
At a court here, a former magistrate claimed trial to offering a RM1,000 bribe to a deputy public prosecutor (DPP) to drop an attempted robbery case in February.
Esther Tan Siew Choo, now a lawyer, was alleged to have offered the money to DPP Mahmoodah V.M. Abd Latif as an inducement for him to drop the case against Mohd Hairi Mohd Jani.
She allegedly committed the offence at the Sungai Besar magistrate’s court in Jalan Besar, Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam, at 12.30pm on Feb 2.
Judge Rozilah Salleh set bail at RM7,000 with one surety pending mention on May 26 . Tan was ordered to surrender her passport.
At the same court, two men — Muhammad Razif Mahadi, 27, and Foo Ah Lee, 69 — claimed trial to offering a RM1,000 bribe to the Selangor Immigration deputy assistant director to turn a blind eye to an immigration offence in February 2014.
They allegedly made the offer to Othman Montil as an inducement not to take action against eight immigrants who committed an offence under the Immigration Act 1959.
The court set bail at RM10,000 with one surety for both accused and fixed May 26 for mention.
In Petra Jaya, five businessmen were charged with giving a total of RM20,500 in bribes to enforcement officers last year.
Bakery owner Phang Tze Sin, 41, was fined RM10,000 and sentenced to a day’s jail when he pleaded guilty.
Judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong ordered Phang to serve an additional two months’ jail if he failed to pay the fine.
Phang had offered a RM1,500 bribe to Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry enforcement officer Mohd Aizat Mohd Nooraini at Phang’s factory in Jalan Stakan Melayu, Kuching, at 12.30pm on Dec 21.
The bribe was an inducement for Aizat not to take action against Phang for possessing controlled items without a valid permit.
Accused Ling Mee Liong, 61, and Eng Chong Kok, 40, pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of giving RM15,000 bribe to a Sarawak Customs officer at a cafe in Kota Padawan near here on Oct 17.
Ting Heng Chuang, 50, and Ngu Ho Woon, 58, claimed trial to separate charges of offering bribes totalling RM4,000 to enforcement officers on Sept 6 and Dec 15, respectively.
Nixon granted bail between RM7,000 and RM15,000 in two sureties, for Ling, Eng, Ting and Ngu.
He set hearing for the cases against Ting, Ling, and Eng to begin between July 7 and July 19, while Ngu’s case was set for mention on April 25.
In Kuantan, two men were jailed a day and fined RM12,000 and RM10,000, respectively, for bribing an enforcement officer to not take action against their illegal flower plantations in Cameron Highlands.
Woo Kwai Chung, 56, and Sai Jun Hao, 21, pleaded guilty to giving a total RM6,500 bribe to National Security Council deputy director of operations Maritime Captain Wan Burhanuddin Jusoh.
Woo gave RM5,000 bribe so that the authorities would not take action against his illegal plantation in Ulu Merah Ringlet.
Sai gave RM1,500 bribe so that the authorities would not demolish an illegal plantation run by him and his brother in Tanah Hutan Simpan Bertam Valley.
The bribes were given at two hotels in Cameron Highlands between April 15 and May 21, 2015.
Judge Datuk Habibah Mohamed Yusof ordered Woo and Sai to serve four months’ and two months’ jail each if they fail to pay the fine.
In Seremban, a jobless man was fined RM10,000 and jailed six months after pleading guilty to offering RM101 bribe to a policeman last year.
Mohamad Daud Abdullah, 53, offered the money to Constable Peh Chee Chong, who was attached to the district police volunteer office, to not to take action against him for behaving indecently in public with a woman.
Daud committed the offence at Jalan S2G2 Garden Avenue here at 11.20pm on June 9 last year.
Judge Fathiyah Idris ordered the jail term to begin yesterday and for Daud to serve an additional six months’ jail if he failed to settle the fine.
In Ipoh, two jobless men were charged with offering RM600 bribe to a Road Transport Department assistant enforcement officer three years ago.
V. Kumar, 57, and S. Moorthy, 51, claimed trial to offering the kickback to Azlee Ahmad as an inducement not to take action against them for driving an overloaded lorry in Jalan Ipoh-Lumut at 10.30am on Nov 12, 2014.
Judge S. Indera Nehru allowed RM13,000 bail each and fixed May 18 for mention.
In Kuala Lumpur, a bus ticket seller claimed trial to giving RM200 bribe to a Land Public Transport Commission official three years ago.
Ahmad Badrol Hazim Ahmad Sabbri, 29, allegedly committed the offence at the bus terminal at Pudu Sentral here at 11pm on June 6, 2014.
Judge Azura Alwi granted RM5,000 bail in one surety and ordered Ahmad to surrender his passport. She fixed June 19 for mention.