DPP gets a year's jail, RM250k fine for corruption

A deputy public prosecutor was sentenced to one year in jail and fined RM250,000 over a graft case linked to the alleged soliciting of an RM50,000 bribe to settle a court case.

However, the accused - Kamalia Yahdi - obtained a stay of execution of the sentence imposed by the Tawau Sessions Court, pending an appeal to the High Court.

The 41-year-old previously claimed trial before the lower court in 2016 over the solicitation charge framed under Section 16 (a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 and was acquitted two years later without her defence being called at the end of the prosecution’s stage of trial.

However, the Court of Appeal allowed the prosecution’s appeal and ordered Kamalia to enter her defence, resulting in today’s Sessions Court verdict at the end of the defence stage of the trial.

Sessions Court judge Jason Juga convicted the accused over the charge of soliciting RM50,000 from two individuals - Chang Fui Hsia and Shang Yee Chew - at a cafe at a hotel in Tawau, Sabah, on May 15, 2015.

Kamalia was accused of soliciting the bribe as inducement for her help to withdraw two criminal cases, which she was then handling at the Tawau Magistrate’s Court.

Jason ruled that Kamalia failed to raise reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case and meted the one-year custodial term as well as an RM250,000 fine.

The judge ordered the accused to serve an additional two years of jail time if the fine is not paid.

However, the Sessions Court allowed Kamalia’s application for a stay of execution of the sentence, pending disposal of her appeal at the High Court.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Natrah Fareha Rahmat and Siti Amirah Muhammad Ali.

Counsel Arthur Borine appeared for Kamalia.

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