Graft: Former ministry officer jailed 21 years, fined RM9.24 million

A former assistant officer with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry was today sentenced to 21 years jail and fined RM9,248,554 million after the Sessions Court found him guilty on seven counts of corruption involving RM18.6 million of government community projects.

Judge Allaudeen Ismail handed down the sentence to Hazmi Samsudin, 41, who was with the ministry's National Key Result Area (NKRA) unit, after the defence failed to raise any reasonable doubts in the prosecution's case.

Allaudeen made the decision after hearing testimonies of 41 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, including Hazmi.

He was sentenced to three years jail for each charge, and fined RM9,248,554 for all the charges or imprisonment of four years and six months, if he failed to pay the fine.

The judge ordered the jail sentences to run concurrently and Hazmi will only have to serve three years imprisonment starting today.

Allaudeen also allowed an application by Hazmi's counsel Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim for a stay of execution pending appeal to the High Court.

On the first count, Hazmi was charged with soliciting bribes of 10 per cent of the total project value of RM18 million, which included upgrading and repair of community halls, surau and mosques through four individuals namely Zainal Arifin Lahuri, Zamzuri Abdullah, Fadzil Anuar Ahmad and Mohd Khairil Isma Abdullah Bacha.

The offence was committed at No. 1, Jalan PH 2, Putra Heights, Sungai Merab Luar, Bandar Baru Bangi, Hulu Langat, Selangor, at the end of 2010.

On the second to the seventh counts, Hazmi was charged with accepting bribes of 10 per cent for every six government projects in Manjung, Perak including upgrading and repair of hall, totalling RM596,628 through six companies and a mediator by the name of Zainal Arifin Lahuri.

The offences were committed at Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Level 1-6, Block E, Bukit Perdana Government Offices Complex, Jalan Datuk Onn here, between May and June 2011.

The charges, under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission 2009, carries a maximum imprisonment for 20 years and fine amounting to five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, which ever is higher.

In mitigation, Mohd Baharuddin said his client, who had repented, needed to support his family.

"My client has given full cooperation to the commission during investigations and this is his first offence," said the counsel, adding that his client had served for 18 years as a government officer.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib appeared for the prosecution.