JOHOR BARU: An assistant enforcement officer was slapped with a fine of RM2,000 for accepting RM700 “duit raya” as an inducement not to take action against a company in Muar.

       Muhamad Basri Bonari, 43, from the Muar branch of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, was charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday where he pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe of RM700.

       He had taken the money from Phang Min Lee, a general manager of a company that sells controlled items such as flour, sugar and cooking oil, as an inducement not to take action against the company.

       He committed the act at the company’s storehouse in Muar at 4.55pm on May 10, 2021, which is an offence under Section 25(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 25(2) of the same Act.

       According to the facts of the case read out to him before judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismaill, the accused sent a WhatsApp voice message to Phang asking for “duit raya”.

       They subsequently met up where an envelope containing RM700 was handed over to Muhamad Basri who then left the storehouse on a motorcycle.

       The charge was an alternative one read to the accused in court after he pleaded not guilty to an initial charge under a different section.

       This alternative charge carries a fine of not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or both, upon conviction.

       In mitigation, his defence lawyer Tan Song Yan pleaded for a fine to be handed out rather than jail time, citing Muhamad Basri’s health issue as among the reasons.

       “The accused’s wife only works as a general staff and he also has to take care of three children, his elderly parents and 80-year-old mother-in-law.

       “He is currently seeking medical treatment at Hospital Muar where he is waiting for his medical results to determine his illness,” said Tan.

       MACC deputy prosecuting officer Ikhwan Ihsan Jalaludin requested that the court mete out a fair punishment as a lesson to the accused and the public, that bribery is a serious offence.

       Judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin said after hearing from both sides, the court allowed for the accused not to be jailed and handed out a fine of RM2,000 fine in default one month’s jail.

       Muhamad Basri paid the fine.