KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court here allowed an application by Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd director Datuk Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh for the temporary release of his passport to travel to the United Kingdom (UK).
Judge Suzana Hussin granted the application on Tuesday (Sept 3) after Deputy Public Prosecutor Dr Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin did not object to it.
Earlier, lawyer Weera Premananda, representing Abdul Hamid Shaikh, told the court that his client needed the passport for his business trip to the UK and to accompany his daughter for further studies there.
He said Abdul Hamid Shaikh would be in the UK from Sept 10 to Nov 15.
On April 5 last year, Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 50, was charged with offering a bribe to Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who was then the communications and multimedia minister, made through Datuk Tan Ser Lay, 60, as an inducement to expedite the takeover of the management and administration of the Kuala Lumpur Tower concession by Hydroshoppe.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, Federal Government Administration Centre, Putrajaya, between July and August 2022.
The charge was framed under Section 16(6)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009, and is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Hydroshoppe is also charged under Section 17A(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 as a commercial organisation for jointly offering the bribe to Tan for Annuar’s benefit, at the same location and dates.
This charge is punishable by a fine of at least 10 times the bribe amount or RM1mil, whichever is higher, or up to 20 years in prison, or both, upon conviction. – Bernama
