Ex-SFC officers fined and jailed for graft

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KUCHING: Two former Sarawak Forestry Corporation officers found guilty of soliciting money from a contractor two years ago were sentenced to eight months’ jail and fined RM18,000 each yesterday.

Sessions Court judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid handed down the decision on Jembree Sabli, 39, and Shaidi Marikan, 45, who will also have to spend another three months in jail if they cannot furnish the fine.

Azhari ruled that their defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case and convicted them of a charge under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

Section 19 (a) provides for a jail term of not more than 20 years and a fine not less than five times the value of graft or RM10,000, whichever is the higher.

Jembree was a former executive officer (infrastructure standard assessment) while Shaidi was an enforcement officer with
the corporation. They appeared calm when the sentence was delivered.

They were charged with soliciting RM3,500 from one Chia Ching Kiat as an inducement not to confiscate a unit of Hitachi excavator owned by Syarikat Sentiasa Maju Sdn Bhd which was used for illegal logging at Kem Munggu Geran in Sri Aman.

The offence was committed at a coffee shop near Brighton Square, Jalan Song here between 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Dec 20, 2010.

In mitigation the duo appealed for a lenient sentence as they were first offenders.

MACC prosecution officer Othman Anyan, meanwhile, urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence against the accused
as corruption was a serious offence which was getting rampant nowadays.

“Their responsibility is to ensure that the Forest Ordinance is complied accordingly by the related companies and agencies.

“However both the accused persons had misused their power as government servants by giving in to gratification which would tarnish the good name of the corporation,” he said.

The court allowed their application for a stay of the sentence and fine pending appeal to High Court at a date to be fixed and released them on an extended bail.

Jembree and Shaidan were represented by Abang Halit Abang Malik and Stanlee Teng, respectively.