Ex-ministry secretary-general cleared of corruption charges

PUTRAJAYA: Former Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) secretarygeneral Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut is a free man now after the Court of Appeal here yesterday 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 for allegedly receiving bribes.

The panel affirmed the decisions of the Sessions Court and High Court in discharging and acquitting the 66-yearold Abdul Hanan 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 Abdul Hanan’s counsel, Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Deputy public prosecutor K. Mangai, who appeared for the prosecution, sought the court to allow the appeal and sent the matter back to the Sessions Court for Abdul Hanan to enter his defence.

Abdul Hanan was charged in 2009 with 10 counts of receiving bribes in the form of United Overseas Bank 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 No 25, Jalan 17/21 Section 17 Petaling Jaya, between Dec 1 and 15, 2008.