FORMER MINISTRY SEC-GEN AND SON JAILED OVER S$200,000 GRAFT
They are found guilty of graft involving S$200,000
FORMER Rural Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman and his son, Ahmad Zukhairi Mohd Arif, were sentenced to three years’ and five years’ jail, respectively, after they were found guilty of graft involving S$200,000 (RM627,800).
Arif, 61, was also fined RM3 million in default three years’ jail, while Zukhairi, 36, was fined RM9.6 million, in default 10 years’ jail by Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.
Arif was found guilty of abetting Zukhairi and using his position to procure S$200,000 from Mohd Safian Mohd Salleh, the director of Syarikat Wazlina Sdn Bhd, an installer company.
He accepted the money as an inducement for awarding a RM60 million rural electricity supply project pertaining to a hybrid solar system on four islands off Sandakan, Sabah to Syarikat Eramaz (M) Sdn Bhd via direct negotiation.
Zukhairi was charged with four counts of soliciting and receiving bribes for projects involving the Rural Development Ministry.
For the first count, he was charged with abetting his father in receiving S$200,000 for the same project on the four islands. He was sentenced to five years’ jail and fined RM3 million in default three years’ jail.
For the second count, he solicited for a two per cent commission from Safian, as a bribe to assist Eramaz (M) Sdn Bhd in securing the rural hybrid solar electricity supply project to six islands off Sandakan, worth RM60 million. He was sentenced to three years’ jail and fined RM6 million in default four years’ jail.
For the third offence, he was charged with accepting RM70,000 from one Zul Fadli Rozi as payment to assist HH Global Construction Sdn Bhd to secure a project at Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu, on Aug 18, 2016. He was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM350,000 in default 18 months jail.
Zukhairi committed his fourth offence by accepting RM50,000 from Zul for the same purpose at the Garden Course Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam, Selangor, in Sept 2016. He was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM250 in default 18 months’ jail.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently from the date of sentencing.
Azura in her judgment said the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution.
“The prosecution team proved that there is an element of soliciting and receiving bribes committed by the first accused (Zukhairi).
“Even though Zukhairi is not a public servant, he mentioned that his father would be transferred to the Rural Development Ministry and that he would follow up with the latter (regarding the hybrid solar project).
“The defence failed to give a satisfactory explanation during trial and the statements from the witnesses were mere denials.”
The charges, framed under Section 16 (a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000, or five times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher.
Counsel Afifuddin Hafifi, who represented the father and son, when pleading for a lighter sentence, said his clients were remorseful and applied for a stay of execution pending appeal.
However, deputy public prosecutor Irwanshah Abdul Samad pressed for a deterrent sentence, stating that the case was of public interest.
“I also object to the stay of execution as there are no special circumstances for the accused,” he said.
The court allowed the stay of execution and increased the duo’s bail from RM200,000 to RM500,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the nearest MACC office once a month.