KUALA LUMPUR: The businessman known as “Datuk Roy” and a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer have been charged with soliciting bribes totalling RM400,000 in investigations involving the son of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Datuk Roy, whose full name is Mohd Hussein Mohd Nasir, 54, was jointly charged with Mohd Rasyidi Mohd Said, 43, with seeking bribes of RM400,000 and receiving RM240,000.
Mohd Hussein was then individually charged in a different Sessions Court with soliciting a RM2mil bribe in MACC’s case involving Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad.
The two first claimed trial to soliciting the RM400,000 bribe from one Siti Dalena Berhan as an inducement not to detain Datuk Fakhri Yassin Mahiaddin during an MACC investigation.
Fakhri Yassin is the son of Bersatu president Muhyiddin, who was prime minister from 2020 to 2021.
The offence was allegedly committed at a steakhouse in Lorong Kurau, Bangsar, between 9pm and 11pm on March 5.
The men faced a second charge of receiving a RM240,000 bribe from one Syed Farid Syed Al-Attas as an inducement not to remand Fakhri Yassin during the investigation.
The offence was allegedly committed at a fast-food restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas between 2pm and 4pm on March 6.
After the two had been charged in the first court, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin told Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi that the prosecution intended to transfer the case to another court where Mohd Hussein would be facing a separate charge.
“We seek for a transfer under Section 61 of the MACC Act. Bail and mitigation will be brought up at the next court,” Wan Shaharuddin said.
Lawyers Fahmi Abd Moin, who represented Mohd Hussein, and Mohd Hezri Shaharil, who represented Mohd Rasyidi, did not object to the transfer.
In the second court, charges against the two men were read again before judge Suzana Hussin and Mohd Hussein was then charged with soliciting for himself a RM2mil bribe from Siti Dalena and Syed Farid in Kampung Melayu Kepong in February.
The bribe was said to be an inducement to have the investigating authority proffer a lesser charge, to change the testimony of the accused to the witness, and to reduce the bail money involved in MACC’s case involving Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge. All charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
The two face imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
MACC prosecuting officer Selvam T. Armugom and deputy public prosecutor Nor Diana Nor Azwa offered bail of between RM10,000 and RM15,000 in one surety for each of the accused.
They asked the court to impose an additional condition for the men to report themselves to the nearest MACC office on a monthly basis.
Suzana allowed bail at RM15,000 in one surety for Mohd Hussein for all his charges while Mohd Rasyidi was allowed bail at RM10,000 in one surety.
The court also ordered the men to surrender their passports to the court and to report to the MACC office once a month.
The case is fixed for mention on July 7.
