SEREMBAN: An enforcement assistant with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) was charged at the Sessions Court today with soliciting a bribe in connection with an unlicensed used cooking oil case.
Sahzul Hisam Samsuri, 51, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before Judge Darmafikri Abu Hassan.
He is accused of allegedly soliciting RM8,500 from a man via a phone call as an inducement to refrain from pursuing an investigation into the transportation of used cooking oil without a valid licence, on Sept 11, 2022.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Asmaa’ Zamri proposed bail at RM8,000 with additional conditions of reporting monthly to the Selangor MACC office, surrendering his passport, and refraining from contacting witnesses until the conclusion of the case.
Sahzul Hisam, who was unrepresented, requested a bail reduction, saying he had been suspended from duty, had no fixed income, and was supporting six dependents.
He also informed the court that he is undergoing medical treatment for hypertension.
“At the end of July, I was also charged in the Shah Alam Court with three similar offences, for which bail was set at RM9,000. Today, I only have RM3,000 available for bail,” he told the court.
The court allowed bail at RM4,000 with one surety, along with the additional conditions sought by the prosecution. The case has been fixed for mention on Aug 27. – Bernama