KUALA LUMPUR: A former private secretary to a former tourism minister has been sentenced to six years in jail and fined RM8.8mil by the Sessions Court after he was found guilty of eight counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM1.77mil relating to a ministerial advertising tender in 2018.
Mohd Saifullah Mohd Minggu @ Mohd Hisham sobbed in the dock when Sessions Court Suzana Hussin convicted and sentenced him here on Thursday (Nov 20).
The 34-year-old, who was a senior officer for former minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, could not control his emotions as he stood to hear the decision.
In her decision, Judge Suzana said the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the case.
"This court convicts you on all charges. I hope the sentence would make you repent and you would not make the same mistake in the future.
"You are still young and I hope you would change for the better," she said.
The court also ordered Saifullah to serve another seven years in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
The court, however, allowed an application by Saifullah's lawyer, Asyraaf Abu Bakar Hamzah, for a stay of execution pending an appeal to the High Court.
Judge Suzana allowed Saifullah to be out on bail but increased it from RM200,000 to RM280,000.
She also ordered the accused to report his attendance to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and for his passport to be surrendered to the court.
Earlier, Asyraaf told the court that his client was a young offender who was naive in politics and that he was taken advantage by certain parties.
"The accused has a good background in education and could still serve society. He is a first time offender and he has given his cooperation in the case," Asyraaf said, adding that his client was remorseful.
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Law Chin How sought for a heavy sentence as Saifullah's action not only tarnish his own family's image, but it also affected the trust in the integrity and transparency of the government's administration.
"The offence committed by the accused involved a huge amount that it influenced the tender process," the DPP said.
Saifullah was convicted of eight counts of receiving RM1,765,000 from one Ronald Seto Kong Seng, the owner of Inter Bev Network Sdn Bhd, as inducement for the accused to promise to obtain a branding and creative services tender for Inter Bev Network. The tender was for a Tourism Malaysia campaign.
The offences were committed at several premises, including a karaoke joint, a coffee place, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), the accused's office at the ministry, a residence and a petrol station between Dec 21, 2018 and March 1, 2019.
Saifullah was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) 2009, which provides imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
