Factory owner fined RM100,000 for bribing enforcement officer in Ipoh

IPOH: A fertiliser factory owner was fined RM100,000 by the Sessions Court here Wednesday (Feb 16) after he pleaded guilty to bribing a Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement assistant four years ago.

Judge M. Bakri Abd Majid also sentenced Lee Soon Teck, 53, to 10 months’ jail if he fails to pay the fine. The accused paid the fine.

The court also ordered that the bribe money amounting to RM30,150 be forfeited to the government in accordance with Section 40(1)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

Lee was charged with bribing Muhammad Fithry Hassan, who was then working at the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya, with RM30,150 in return for not taking legal action against the accused for storing subsidised fertiliser without a licence under the Control of Supplies Act 1961.

The offence was committed at premises in Batu 6, Jalan Baru, Parit Buntar, Perak at 10.30 am on Oct 8, 2018.

The charge was framed under Section 214 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or fine or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Maziyah Mansor prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Kailashii Vasudevan Appu. – Bernama