The Sessions Court today acquitted and discharged Selangor Foundation former deputy general manager (management) Saifulruddin Sulaiman on three counts of agreeing to accept bribes totalling RM45,000 over the foundation’s 40th anniversary celebrations four years ago.   

Judge M Bakri Abd Majid said Saifulruddin, 35, had given an honest explanation in his defence and had thus raised a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

“The evidence of the accused in his defence on the balance of probabilities had countered the presumption under Section 50 (1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and had raised a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.

“As such, the accused is acquitted and discharged on the three charges,” he said.

Soon after the judge read out the judgment, Saifulruddin, standing in the dock, was seen heaving a sigh of relief and giving thanks.

On Nov 3, 2011, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Saifulruddin on the three charges without calling for his defence, but the prosecution made an appeal against the decision to the High Court.    

In December last year, the High Court allowed the appeal and ordered Saifulruddin to make his defence on the three charges.

Saifulruddin, who was relieved of his post in February 2011, was charged with agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Drift Z Enterprise manager Husni Hirzi Abd Rahim as remuneration for helping to select the company as event manager for the foundation’s controversial 40th anniversary celebration.

He was alleged to have committed the offence at his house in Section 7 in Shah Alam on Oct 5, 2010.

Saifulruddin, now a businessman, was also charged with agreeing to accept a RM20,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi on Oct 25, 2010, as remuneration for not withholding payment to the same company.

Saifulruddin had faced a third charge of agreeing to accept a RM5,000 bribe from Husni Hirzi as an inducement to approve an additional payment for a programme amounting to RM93,982.40 to the same company.  

He allegedly committed the offence on Nov 11, 2010.  

Seventeen prosecution witnesses and a defence witness testified at the trial.

Saifulruddin was represented by counsel Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali while the prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Lokman Kasim of the MACC.

- Bernama