KUCHING: A secondary school principal walked free yesterday after the Special Corruption Court discharged and acquitted him of a corruption charge.
Presiding Judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid made the decision on 58-year-old Junaidi Zulkipli after considering the submissions made by the prosecutor and the defence.
He ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against Junaidi.
Junaidi was alleged to have corruptly obtained a gratification of RM12,000 from Saiful Bahri Ahmad Adibi through a person as an inducement to recommend a performance evaluation and expedite the process of claim on a government service order for the month of January 2009.
He allegedly committed the offence in his capacity as the principal of SMK Pesantren Abdul Taib Mahmud in Sadong Jaya Samarahan at about 8am on Feb 16, 2009 at the school dining hall.
Corruption, under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, provides an imprisonment term as well as fine of not less than five times the sum or value of gratifications or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
DPP Law Chin Hon from Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuted while counsels Roger Chin and Osman Ibrahim represented Junaidi.