IIUM corporate comms officer in the dock again over corruption charges

KUALA LUMPUR: An International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) corporate communications assistant director has been charged with corruption again, this time at the Sessions Court here in matters involving RM32,000.

He was earlier charged with bribery in the Shah Alam Sessions Court on May 27.

On Thursday (June 3), the accused, Mohd Hakimi Mohd Badrol Afandi, pleaded not guilty after four charges were read out to him before Sessions Court judge Emelia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid here.

According to the charges, the 44-year-old allegedly received RM32,000 through his Maybank account from one Ahmad Shukri Abdul Ghani.

The money was said to be an inducement for the accused, who is an N41 grade civil servant, to facilitate three companies getting jobs relating to payment vouchers.

The payment vouchers were for the jobs “The Modification Works of IIUM Gallery and Official Launching by IIUM President”, “Printing Packages of IIUM Corporate Collateral (Executive Diaries, Notebooks and Planners) for 2015", and “Custom Made Mother Booth, Arch Entrance, Banner, Bunting and Road Signage for Education Exhibition".

Mohd Hakimi allegedly committed the four offences at the Maybank Jalan Gombak branch in Jalan Meranti, Taman Setapak, between Nov 13,2014 and March 30,2015.

The charges were framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which carries a maximum 20 years imprisonment and a fine of no less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The accused also pleaded not guilty to four alternative charges of accepting monies totalling RM32,000 from the same person without anything in return, knowing that the latter has interest in his official work.

He faces a jail term of up to two years or a fine if convicted of the offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Aliff Shaharuzaman asked the court to adopt the RM5,000 bail that was fixed for the accused in his case at the Shah Alam Sessions Court on May 27.

The prosecution also sought for the case to be transferred to Shah Alam for trial, which was allowed by the court.

The case is fixed for mention on June 29 at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

On May 27, Mohd Hakimi claimed trial at the Shah Alam court for allegedly accepting a bribe of RM5,000 from the same person as an inducement to facilitate a company to obtain work related to payment vouchers for a job "Exhibition Panels (EZ Line 20)" dated March 7,2014.