KUALA LUMPUR: An assistant manager in the editorial department of English daily The Star has been sentenced to 30 months’ jail and fined RM100,000 by the Sessions Court today for bribery.
M. Youganesparan, 55, was sentenced after he was convicted of receiving RM20,000 in bribes in May, last year.
In her decision, judge Madihah Harullah said the accused had failed to raise a reasonable doubt.
She also ordered the accused to serve another 18 months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
Youganesparan was charged with receiving RM20,000 from one Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah, 55, purportedly to be given to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer as an inducement for the officer concerned to settle a case involving Mohd Emir who was allegedly being investigated by the MACC.
He was accused with committing the offence at the Intermark Hotel, Jalan Tun Razak, here, about 9.15pm on May 30, last year.
The charge under Section 16a (B) of the MACC Act 2009, carries a jail term of not exceeding 20 years or a fine of RM10,000 or five times the bribe amount, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Earlier, MACC deputy public prosecutor Abdul Rashid Sulaiman urged for a deterrent sentence, saying that corruption is a serious offence.
“The sentence must reflect the seriousness of the offence and serve as a lesson to not only the accused but also to the public so that they would not commit such act,” he said.
Meanwhile, Youganesparan’s counsel G. Shankar applied for a stay of execution of his client’s jail term pending appeal.
“We wish to appeal against the conviction and sentence due to special circumstances and my client is not in his best health,” he said.
The judge granted the stay application of the accused’s jail term and ordered for the notice of appeal to be filed today.
The court also increased the accused’s bail amount from RM30,000 to RM40,000.