Ex - MPS president jailed, fined for abuse of power

Former Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president Datuk Bakaruddin Othman was sentenced to three years' jail and fined RM132,500, in default a year's jail, by the Session Court here today for using

the local authority's fund for maintenance of his personal residence.

Judge Asmadi Hussin handed down the sentence after finding that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubts against the prosecution's case.

However, he allowed a stay of the jail sentence pending an appeal at the High Court, but ordered Bakaruddin to pay the fine.

Asmadi also increased bail from RM8,000 to RM10,000 and ordered Bakaruddin to report himself at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the first Sunday of every month.

Bakaruddin, 58, now an administrative and diplomatic officer at the Public Service Department, was charged with using his office or position as the MPS president to obtain gratification in the form of financing, involving RM26,500, for maintenance of his personal residence.

The financing for the residence located at Jalan Laksamana 9, Kampung Laksamana, Batu Caves, Selangor, was allegedly approved by Bakaruddin during a meeting of the MPS tender committee, dated Oct 27, 2001.

Bakaruddin was charged with committing the offence between Jun 2001 and April 2002 at the Selayang Municipal Council Building, Bandar Baru Selayang.

Earlier during mitigation, one of the lawyers representing Bakaruddin, Jagjit Singh, told the court that Bakaruddin, who had been in the civil service for 34 years, had a clean record and would lose his pension as a result of the conviction.

The other lawyer representing Bakaruddin was Akbardin Abdul Kader. MACC deputy public prosecutors Muhammad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi and Nik Azrin Zairin Nik Abdullah appeared for the prosecution.