The Shah Alam Sessions Court has found Umno's MP for Sabak Bernam, Abdul Rahman Bakri, guilty on eight counts of making false claims amounting to RM80,000.

Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh delivered the ruling after finding that the defence had failed to raise doubts on the prosecution's case.

NONE Abdul Rahman, 47 ( left ), was charged with making the claims of RM10,000 each between Jan 21 and Feb 4, 2008, when he was Sungai Ayer Tawar assemblyperson.

The court found him guilty of making eight false claims from his constituency’s allocation for a series of non-existent events.

However, there will be no by-election in the constituency, as Abdul Rahman has served more than two-thirds of his elected term.

His aide, Mohd Rusli Busro, who is charged with abetting him in making the false claims, was also found guilty.

If found guilty under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997, Abdul Rahman and Mohd Rusli could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of five times the amount of gratification involved.

Mitigation plea tomorrow

Judge Azhaniz Teh agreed to hear mitigation at 11am tomorrow,  after allowing the defence application for this to be put off till then, after which the sentence will be passed.

Abdul Rahman’s lawyer Mohd Afifuddin Hafifi submitted that since the fine could possibly touch RM400,000, “we hope to seek the court’s indulgence to postpone the mitigation and sentencing to tomorrow”.

This, Afifuddin said, would allow his client time to prepare the funds, as the quantum of the fine would exceed the amount involved in the offence.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Abdul Razak Musa noted that it was already late and had no objection to the request.

Abdul Rahman was charged on Nov 3, 2009, with his aide, and was ordered to enter his defence on June 30 last year.

He is the second elected representative from Umno and BN in Selangor to be convicted after being charged by the MACC.

Last year, former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was convicted of receiving gratification in relation to the purchase of property for his private residence.