Two sand mining site supervisors plead not guilty to bribery charge

K.Mohan, 42, and How Ah Lai, 45, both supervisors at the illegal sand mining site, were separately charged with committing the offence, before judge Madihah Harullah.

Mohan was charged with offering a bribe of RM2,000 in cash to MACC senior assistant superintendent Mohd Izham Mohd Hashim, 36, as inducement not to take enforcement action against him under the MACC Act, 2009.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at a government reserve land in Taman Selatan, Precinct 20, Putrajaya at 1.10pm on Feb 11, 2016.

Charged under Section 16(b)(A) of the Act, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

How was charged with offering a bribe of RM300 to MACC senior assistant superintendent Mohd Zaki Johari, 34, as inducement not to report to the authorities, on the offence of a lorry ferrying sand out of the mining site in Precinct 20, Putrajaya.

He is accused of committing the offence at the site between 1pm and 1.30pm on Feb 11, 2016, under Section 426 of the National Land Code 1965 and faces the same penalty under the MACC Act.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Zaki Mohd Salleh offered a bail of RM20,000 for Mohan and RM10,000 for How, saying the amounts were reasonable.

However, counsel Datuk Rajpal Singh, representing the two accused, asked that the amounts be reduced as both have to fend for their families.