KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has ordered former Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) senior deputy director Sabudin Mohd Salleh to enter his defence on two charges of obtaining a bribe amounting to RM200,000 for the issuing of work permits.

       Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan delivered the decision on Thursday (March 24) after allowing the prosecution's appeal to set aside a Sessions Court's December 2020 decision which acquitted and freed Sabudin from the two charges.

       "The appeal is allowed, the decision has been set aside and the case is back with the Sessions Court for the respondent (Sabudin) to defend himself," said Justice Mohamed Zaini.

       The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Natrah Fareha Rahmat and Mohd Shahrom Idris while K. Theivaendran represented Sabudin.

       A total of six prosecution witnesses were called to testify at the trial.

       Sabudin, 60, who was then senior deputy director with the DBKL Civil Engineering and Urban Transport division, was charged with corruptly receiving a bribe of RM200,000 in cash from Wong May Kuan, a subcontractor of Dusari Niaga tasked with grinding and resurfacing works for DBKL at the time, as an inducement for him to issue work permits to the company.

       He was charged with committing the offences at a petrol station convenience store at Jalan Lingkaran Tengah 2, Bukit Antarabangsa here, and in front of his residence in Ukay Perdana, Ampang, on June 9, 2018 and Jan 17, 2019 respectively.

       The charges were framed under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) which is punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted. – Bernama