ALOR STAR: A former Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) staff was sentenced by the Sessions Court to six months' jail and RM150,000 fine for soliciting and accepting a bribe two years ago.
Judge Azman Abu Hassan meted out the sentence on Sukri Mat, 49, after the former TM assistant technician pleaded guilty to two charges of soliciting and accepting a bribe from contractor Badlishah Hamid.
Sukri, from Pokok Sena, was charged with soliciting RM20,000 from Badlishah, 47, via a text message in connection with a project to relocate fibre optic and copper cables for TM in Jalan Alor Star-Gunung Keriang, to pave way for Sungai Kedah/Anak Bukit flood mitigation project.
Sukri had demanded the bribe as an inducement to approve the works although the project was completed according to the job specification required by TM.
He committed the offence when Badlishah was at the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Jalan Sultan Badlishah about 11.04am on Sept 21, 2015.
Sukri also pleaded guilty to a second charge of accepting RM10,000 bribe from Badlishah at Restoran Nasi Kandar Imran here about 2.50pm the same day.
MACC deputy public prosecutor A Hafiizh Abu Bakar prosecuted while the accused was not represented.
In mitigation, Sukri appealed to the court to pass a lenient sentence as he regretted his action which had affected his family life.
"I had been dismissed from work and I have to support my three children aged 22, 21 and 10, and also my 80-year-old father and a mentally-disabled sibling," he said full of remorse.
Azman sentenced him to six months' jail and RM100,000 fine for the first offence and six months' jail and RM50,000 fine for the second.
He ordered the jail terms to run concurrently beginning today.