KUALA LUMPUR: A former civil servant was charged at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday with nine counts of bribery and submitting false claims related to procurement for Istana Negara three years ago.
Ibrahim Ishak, 43, pleaded not guilty to all charges before Judge Rosli Ahmad.
As the former Head of the Administration and Information Technology Section at Istana Negara, he allegedly used falsified procurement documents, inflating claims by RM1,653,165 from the actual supply value of RM6,031,712.
The offences were allegedly committed between Apr 13, 2022, and Jan 2, 2024, at Istana Negara’s Finance and Budget Section Office, under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 [Act 694], which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the amount involved.
Ibrahim also faces two charges of soliciting bribes-RM210,000 and SG$8,800 (about RM28,909)-as a reward for approving a company's order for Commemorative Watches for the installation of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, valued at RM2,016,000.
Additionally, he was charged with receiving a RM72,000 bribe for approving an order related to Royal Gift Envelopes. These offences, allegedly committed between Mar 29, 2023, and Aug 27, 2024, fall under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act, which carries similar penalties.
The court set bail at RM50,000 with one surety and ordered Ibrahim to surrender his passport until the case was resolved, before fixing Mar 4 for mention. - Bernama
