JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- A phone accessories salesman and night market vendor pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to charges of offering bribes to Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) enforcement assistants to avoid action being taken against them for operating businesses without a valid license.
In the first case, Tan Poh Wey, 41, is accused of offering MBIP enforcement assistant Syed Hanif Syed Nasir, 31, RM3,000 as an inducement to not take legal action against 53 Mobile Trading for not possessing a license and failing to comply with a notice to cease operations.
The offence allegedly occurred at Jalan Pulai Mutiara 4/7, Taman Pulai Mutiara, at 5 pm on Jan 23.
Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail granted bail of RM5,000 with one surety for the father of two and set Oct 22 for the next hearing.
The second case involved night market vendor, Wong Chee Khoi, 56, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of offering a RM1,000 bribe to MBIP enforcement assistant Syamsuddin Ab Rahman, 46, last year.
The bribe was allegedly offered as an inducement for Syamsuddin to refrain from taking legal action against Wong for operating an unlicensed grocery business at Tanah Lapang, Jalan Persiaran Teknologi 1, at 8.20 pm on Nov 2 last year.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin granted Wong, a father of two, bail at RM4,000 with one surety and set Oct 21 for case mention.
Both Tan and Wong were imposed with additional conditions requiring them to report monthly to the Johor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office and to surrender their passports to the court.
They were charged under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecution was led by MACC prosecuting officers Rais Adha Ramli and Nur Mahirah Mohd Pauzi, while Tan was represented by lawyer K. Bharathi, and Wong by lawyer Lim Chon Sin.
-- BERNAMA
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