Two men sent to jail, fined for bribing SFC officer

Two men landed themselves in jail for bribing a Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) officer a sum of RM2,000 as an inducement for not taking any legal action against them for possessing illegal mangrove logs.

A Special Court for Corruption sentenced the first accused Tou Tai Ling, 52 to three days’ imprisonment and a fine of RM15,000 in default two months’ jail, and the second accused Ting Heng Sing, 65 to two-day imprisonment and a fine of RM10,000 in default one month jail for the offence committed under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption (MACC) Act 2009, here today.

Both had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge read to them in Foochow dialect by the interpreter in front of Judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong. Both of them paid the fines.

Both of them were arrested after offered the bribe to the SFC officer after their lorry laden with undocumented mangrove logs was stopped for inspection at Jalan Universiti at 8.35 am on April 23.

Earlier in their mitigation, both of them asked the court for leniency as they were remorseful and regretted making such a foolish action, thinking that it would be an easy way out of the problem they were facing.

The prosecution was done by MACC prosecution officer Ikhwan Mohd Ibrahim while Rosli Gapor represented both the accused. - BERNAMA