Former public officer fined RM40,000 for receiving gratification

IPOH: A former civil servant was fined RM40,000 at the Sessions Court here yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of receiving gratification for himself totalling RM25,500 three years ago.

Judge S. Indra Nehru also ordered Herman Ibrahim, 46, a former cultural officer at the Perak State Secretary's Office to serve eight months' jail for each count if he failed to pay the fine.

Herman pleaded guilty to the charge of receiving gratification of RM7,500 from the company owner of Pro Explore Event Management, Mohd Zulkhibri Abdul Mutalib, at a Public Bank branch in Jalan Sultan Idris Shah here on Nov 15, 2018, when he was serving as an agent to Perak Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2018 Secretariat.

The man also admitted to having received gratification of RM18,000 from the owner of Shadess Event Planner company in relations to his official duties at the State Secretary's Office on Nov 18, 2018. The court also ordered all assets seized from Herman, namely a laundrette and several pieces of jewellery, to be returned to him with the cost of RM45,000 payable to the Government of Malaysia.

Meanwhile, in KUALA TERENGGANU, a town and country planning officer pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court to a charge of receiving RM4,500 gratification for himself in relations to his official duties at one of the district offices in the state.

Zariman Ibrahim, 41, was alleged to have received the gratification in cash from one Nor Hashimi Hassan, somewhere in Besut on Sept 4, 2018.

The charge, framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum jail term of two years, or fine, or both, if convicted.

Judge Dazuki Ali allowed the accused bail of RM5,000 with one surety and set March 9 for remention.