A subcontractor and the skipper of a boat were each sentenced to a day in jail and fined RM10,000 after pleading guilty for trying to bribe enforcement officers for not taking action against their illegal logging activities.

Special Sessions Court (Corruption) judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong sentenced subcontractor Teng Yok Foo, 42, and skipper Laseh Seling,44, after both pleaded for a lesser sentence as it was their first offence, have a family to feed and promised not to repeat their action again.

Teng was charged under Section 17 (b) Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and punishable under the Section 24 (1) of the same act that provides for imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years and fine not more than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

He was accused of offering RM2,000 to Mohamad Dzakariya Abdul Kader, an inspector attached to the Intelligence Department of the Operation Force, Briged, Batu Kawa, Royal Malaysian Police, Kuching, after allegedly committing illegal logging activities at Long Kesseh, Baram, Miri without a valid permit from the Sarawak Forestry Department.

The bribe was allegedly offered on Sept 10 2014 at 9pm at a seafood restaurant located in the Miri Waterfront.

In the same court, Laseh was accused of offering RM500 bribe to Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Jahir Ja’afar on March 14, 2014 on the Link Link V tugboat in Limbang.

The bribe was for Jahir to not take action against him for transporting timber without a valid customs transportation permit.

Both accused were not represented while the prosecution was led by MACC prosecuting officer Kathrine Nais.

- Bernama