Langkawi Fire and Rescue station head jailed, fined for corruption

ALOR STAR: The Sessions Court here today sentenced a fire and rescue station head to 40 months' jail and RM60,000 fine, for two counts of corruption.
Judge Zanol Rashid Hussain handed down the sentence on Yaakob Hassan, 49.
The judge had found Yaakob guilty of the offences last March 8, but fixed today for sentencing as Yaakob was then detained under the Prevention of Crime Act.
He sentenced Yaakob to 20 months' jail and RM50,000 fine, in default 10 months' jail, for the first offence, and 20 months' jail and RM10,000 fine, in default two months' jail, for the second offence, to be served concurrently from today.
However, Zanol Rashid allowed a stay of the sentence pending an appeal, but ordered Yaakob to pay the fine today.
On the first count, Yaakob was charged with soliciting bribe of RM10,000 through a telephone call to an individual which was made at 7.46pm on Oct 13, 2012.
The money was as an inducement for Yaakob to help close a police investigation in connection with the arrest of another person.
The second count was for accepting RM2,000 from the individual for the same purpose in a room at the Fire and Rescue station at Jalan Kasap, Langkawi, at 3pm on Oct 14, 2012.
Both the charges were made under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, which provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of bribe involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor from MACC, A Hafiizh Abu Bakar, while lawyer Paramjit Singh represented Yaakob. — Bernama