Businessman sentenced to five days in jail and slapped with RM10k fine for attempted bribery

SHAH ALAM: A businessman was sentenced to five days jail and fined RM10,000 in default six months jail by the Sessions Court for bribing an immigration officer at a factory in Semenyih last week.
Judge Amran Jantan, in handing down the sentence, also ordered the jail term to begin from the date of arrest of R. Ravi, 45, who pleaded guilty to the charge today.
Ravi was charged with giving a RM1,500 bribe to Immigration Department officer Mohd Haniff Farhan Sha'ari as an inducement to not take enforcement action against two Indonesian workers suspected of not having proper permit.
The offence was committed at about 3.40pm on May 12, in the Brick Dech Enterprise factory, at PT 1752, Batu 22, Jalan Kacau, Sungai Lalang, Semenyih.
He was charged under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which on conviction, carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and fine no less than five times the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
According to the facts of the case, the immigration department and MACC carried out an operation at the factory on May 12 after suspecting there were workers without valid work permit.
During the operation, led by Mohd Haniff, the authorities arrested two Indonesians, Faisol and Mohamad Safii, for not possessing legal documents under Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The accused then met Mohd Haniff and two others to offer the RM1,500 bribe to not take action. However, Mohd Hanif refused the money and advised that the act was wrong.
However, the accused placed the money in Mohd Haniff's hand and it was witnessed by MACC officer Fakruruzi Mustafa and two other immigration officers. Ravi was arrested by the MACC officer and the money was confiscated.
Ravi was represented by counsel B. R. Puvarasan and the DPP for MACC, Mohammad Heikal Ismail appeared for the prosecution.