Senior federal counsel jailed, fined RM130,000 for bribery

BUTTERWORTH: A senior federal counsel was sentenced to one day in jail and fined RM130,000 by the Sessions Court here today after he pleaded guilty to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM700,000 last year.

Judge Ahmad Azhari Abdul Hamid meted out the punishment to Lim Cheah Yit, 43.

The court sentenced Lim to one day in jail for each charge and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Lim was fined RM50,000 in default of three months' jail for the first charge, and RM40,000 in default of three months' jail for the second and third charges respectively. The accused paid the fine.

Lim was sent to Jawi Prison, Penang to serve one day in prison.

The court meted out the punishment after Lim pleaded guilty to alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of two years or with a fine or both, if convicted.

He was previously charged under Section 16 (a) (B) of the Malaysian Anti -Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and can be punished under Section 24 (1) of the same act which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of bribe or RM10,000, or whichever is higher, if convicted.

For the three charges, Lim, as a senior federal counsel working at the Attorney-General's Chambers Penang branch, has accepted cash of RM500,000, RM100,000, RM100,000 respectively from Goh Kim Heong, as an inducement to influence the Penang State Prosecuting Officer, to charge one Chan Eng Leong under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

He was accused to have committed the offences at a family entertainment centre in Gurney, George Town, at the MACC Alor Setar Office, Kedah and at a hotel in Jalan Bukit Gambir here, between March 2020 and June 2020.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Mukhzany Fariz Mohd Mokhtar prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Devanandan S. Subramaniam.

-- BERNAMA