Ex-ministry sec-gen and son sentenced to jail for corruption over rural solar projects
(The Star) – Former Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman (pic) and his son Ahmad Zukhairi have been found guilty of corruption.
Mohd Arif was sentenced to three years’ jail and fined RM3mil, in default three years’ jail by the Sessions Court here for abetting his eldest son in accepting a SG$200,000 (RM600,000) bribe.
Meanwhile, 36-year-old son Ahmad Zukhairi was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and fined RM9.6mil in default 10 years’ jail after he was found guilty of four counts of soliciting and accepting bribes.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi said in her ruling that there was overwhelming evidence against the two.
On the issue of alibi, Azura said the statement from Ahmad Zukhairi’s wife, who was a defence witness failed to convince.
“His wife did not give a trustworthy statement from the witness dock,” she added.
Mohd Arif, 61, was charged with abetting Ahmad Zukhairi by accepting SG$200,000 (RM627,833) from Syarikat Wazlina Sdn Bhd director Mohd Safian Mohd Salleh.
The bribe was an inducement for a hybrid solar system project in four remote islands off Sandakan, Sabah, worth RM60mil which was awarded to Syarikat Eramaz (M) Sdn Bhd, an associate company of Syarikat Wazlina.
Ahmad Zukhairi was charged with accepting the money from the same person for himself and his father.
He was also charged with soliciting a two percent commission from Mohd Safian, as a bribe to assist Eramaz in securing the Solar Hybrid Rural Electricity Supply project to six islands in Sandakan, Sabah, also worth RM60mil.
He had allegedly solicited the commission (RM1.2mil) for his father, who was still serving as the secretary-general then, and himself at Grand Dorsett Hotel in Subang Jaya between 5pm and 9pm on March 17, 2016.
For the third offence, Ahmad Zukhairi accepted RM70,000 from Zul Fadli Rozi at Permai Golf and Country Club in Kota Kemuning, Section 31 Shah Alam between 8am and 2pm Aug 18, 2016.
The payment was for assisting HH Global Construction Sdn Bhd to acquire a RM3.2mil project to construct a three-tier recreational square and related works at Persisiran Tasik Pengkalan Gawi, Tasik Kenyir in Terengganu.
Ahmad Zukhairi committed the fourth offence by accepting another RM50,000 from Zul Fadli Rozi for the same purpose at Garden Course Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam in Sept 2016.
Lawyer Afifuddin Hafifi asked the court to grant a stay of execution on the sentence pending an appeal.
DPP Irwan Shah Abdul Samat objected on grounds that there was no special circumstances faced by the accused.
Judge Azura however granted a stay of execution on both jail time and fine.
She also ordered for the bail to be raised from RM200,000 to RM500,000 in one surety each.
Afifuddin told the media later that he will be filing a notice of appeal on behalf of his clients on Wednesday.
