Perak Corp ex-group CEO pleads not guilty to bribery charge

IPOH: Perak Corp Bhd former group chief executive officer Datuk Aminuddin Md Desa was charged at a Sessions Court here for receiving a bribe of RM455,660 from a contractor to construct his bungalow.

The 57-year-old pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after the charge was read out before Sessions Court judge S. Indera Nehru on Thursday (Jan 10).

According to the charge sheet, the accused had between Jan 17 and July 3, 2017, at Public Bank branch on Jalan Sultan Idris Shah allegedly received for himself the payment for construction works of his bungalow house in Hulu Kinta.

He allegedly received the payment from one Chua Kim Weng, the director of Uni-poh Construction Works Sdn Bhd, with the knowledge that the company was linked to Aminuddin’s official duties involving the contract of the main infrastructure and other works at Bandar Meru Raya 2.

He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine or both upon conviction.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh asked for a RM20,000 bail.

Aminuddin’s counsel Najmi Dawami Abdul Hamid requested that bail be lowered to RM15,000, saying his client had been giving his full cooperation to MACC.

Indera allowed bail at RM15,000 in one surety.

The court also ordered that he surrender his passport.

The case is fixed for mention on Feb 22.

It was reported on May 29 last year that Aminuddin had resigned from his post.

It was also reported that Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming called on the entire board of Perak Corp to resign after the company posted a loss of RM11.4mil in the first quarter.

He said it was “shocking” that the company’s debts had exceeded its assets and urged the company’s directors to be responsible for the losses.