SEREMBAN: A 34-year-old supervisor at a Felda scheme was sentenced to 14 days in jail and fined RM25,000 by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to a charge of abusing his position in a tender exercise.

       Judge Rushan Lutfi Mohamed also ordered Mohd Syafeq Mokhtar to serve another five months in jail in the event he was unable to pay the fine.

       The accused, who was the tender committee secretary at the Felda Palong 5 scheme, had abused his position by selecting a company which he owned to provide labour services, equipment, transportation and to carry out landscaping work in Felda Palong 5 involving a sum of RM4,990.

       He committed the offence at the Felda Palong 5 office in Gemas in November 2018.

       He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2008, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same legislation.

       In mitigation, the accused asked the court for a light sentence as he had to provide for his wife, three young children and a sibling who were still schooling.

       He also told the court that he regretted his action and promised not to repeat it.

       Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali asked the court to impose a sentence that would commensurate the crime and be a deterrent to would-be offenders.