PETALING JAYA: The Shah Alam Sessions Court ordered a one-day jail sentence and imposed a RM30,000 fine on the owner of a cleaning services company today for offering a bribe to a Shah Alam City Council staff to not report the company’s poor quality work four years ago.
Mohammad Zaki Jamian pled guilty to the charge and was in tears making a plea for a lenient sentence before judge Datuk Anita Harun, the New Straits Times reported.
The prosecution, handled by Mohd Alimi Mustapha, previously asked for the 44-year-old to be charged according to his offence to teach him a lesson.
During the trial today, he assured Anita that he will not repeat his mistake as part of his appeal for a lighter sentence, adding that he has his wife and children to support being the only breadwinner.
Zaki said he was had stroke two years ago and has to undergo weekly rehabilitation treatments that costs RM350, but he only earns RM3,500 a month, on top of keeping up with his household expenses.
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Anita also ordered Zaki to serve six months in jail if he fails to pay off the fine, adding that she made her decision after finding out about his health condition.
The court found that the offence had taken place from October 2020 to December 2021 after being notified by the MBSA staff, acting as a supervisor, that a Notice To Correct (NTC) will be issued if the cleaning was found to be subpar or if they have received any complaints from the public.
A sub-contracting job for 36 months from August 1 2020 until July 31 2023 was given to Zaki, the owner of Syarikat Gabungan Selatan Resources, to clean the MBSA food stalls in Section 24.
As an inducement to not report the poor cleaning job, he transferred RM3,500 from his company’s bank account to the staff six times in order to not be issued the NTC.
The charge in line with Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, punishable under Section 24(1), stipulates a prison sentence up to 20 years, fined not more than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is a higher sentence if found guilty.
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