KUALA TERENGGANU: Three men were each sentenced to 14 days jail and fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here today for bribing staff of the Terengganu State Forestry Department, last year.
Judge Mohd Haldar Abdul Aziz handed out the punishment to timber merchant Wong Kam Choy, 53, timber factory manager Tan Ya Loon, 36 and trader, Bakri Hassan after the trio pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Wong, was charged with giving a bribe of RM1,000 to assistant forest officer, Ilias Awang, not to take action against him for committing an offence under Section 68 of the National Forestry Act 1984 for possession of timber which were not classified and not taxed.
Wong committed the offence at 1.30pm, in the Mukim of Kijal, Kemaman, on June 8, last year.
Tan, also pleaded guilty to giving RM500 to forest ranger Wahab Omar of the District Forest Office, West Terengganu, in August last year so as not to be penalised for having various species of logs in his factory which did not have forest produce removal passes and which were not taxed, an offence under the Forestry Act 1984.
He committed the offence at 4.15pm, at Lot 10714, Sungai Nilai, Mukim Hulu Nerus, Setiu, on Aug 28, last year.
Trader, Bakri Hassan, 41, admitted to giving RM300 cash to forest ranger Mohd Noor Ali, of the Terengganu State Forestry Department in July last year.
Bakri committed the offence at 3.45pm, at Lot No 3966, Kampung Sungai Lerek, Setiu, as an inducement so that no action would be taken against him under the Forestry Act 1984 for carrying timber loads that did not have forest produce removal passes and not taxed.
The men were charged under Section 17 (b) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) punishable under Section 24 of the same act with imprisonment not exceeding 20 years and a fine not less than five times the bribe or RM10, 000, whichever is higher.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh, appeared for the prosecution. -- BERNAMA