A businessman with a “Datuk Seri” title has pleaded not guilty in the sessions court to charges of soliciting and receiving RM15 million from a fellow businessman to secure projects from the home ministry.
Sim Choo Thiam was slapped with four charges under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
For the first charge, Sim was said to have demanded RM15 million from Hep Kim Hong some time in June 2021 at Jalan Dutamas 1 here.
The prosecution said the sum was meant as an inducement for then home minister Hamzah Zainudin to assist Hep’s company, Asia Coding Sdn Bhd, in securing projects from his ministry.
Sim was also handed three other charges involving the receipt of RM15 million in cash from Hep between July 19 and July 31, 2021.
If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years’ and a fine no less than five times the alleged sum for each of the offences.
Judge Rozina Ayob granted bail of RM1 million to Sim and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court, pending disposal of his case.
The court fixed June 14 for the next mention of the case.
Sim was represented by lawyers Kee Wei Lon, Low Wei Loke and Hannah Kam, while deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib appeared for the prosecution.
Source : FMT
It’s a conspiracy, says Hamzah over alleged links to RM15mil bribe
Former home minister Hamzah Zainudin has denied being involved in a RM15 million corruption case.
Earlier today, businessman Sim Choo Thiam was charged with demanding RM15 million from another businessman, Hep Kim Hong, some time in June 2021.
The prosecution said the sum was meant as an inducement for Hamzah to assist Hep’s company, Asia Coding Sdn Bhd, to secure projects from his ministry.
Sim was also slapped with three other charges of receiving RM15 million to secure projects from the home ministry. He pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
In a statement, Hamzah said it seemed “certain people and businessmen” were pressured into “pointing their finger” at him.
“I wonder why my name is being mentioned when I have nothing to do with this,” said Hamzah.
“The four charges say that bribes were paid to ‘get home ministry projects’. What are these projects?
“It is clear that these accusations have been deliberately fabricated in such a way as to drag my name into matters that do not directly involve me.”
The Perikatan Nasional secretary-general said it was “peculiar” that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers only recorded his statement this evening, after the charges were brought against Sim.
Hamzah said the charges that implicated him were meant to discredit PN and Bersatu, adding that deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously talked about a “court cluster” involving PN and Bersatu leaders.
“I believe this is because they are worried about PN’s strength,” said Hamzah.
Hamzah is the latest PN leader to be implicated in a corruption scandal after the coalition’s chairman, Muhyiddin Yassin, was charged with several counts of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the Jana Wibawa programme initiated by the former prime minister’s administration.
Bersatu’s Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad were also charged with accepting bribes in relation to Jana Wibawa.
The Jana Wibawa programme was introduced in November 2020 by the Muhyiddin-led government as a Covid-19 stimulus initiative to help Bumiputera contractors.
Source : FMT
