KUALA LUMPUR: A medicine trader was jailed 14 days and fined RM15,000 by the Sessions Court today for giving a RM400 bribe to a Kuala Lumpur City Hall assistant enforcer to turn a blind eye to his premises, which did not have a valid business licence.
Judge Azura Alwi meted out the sentence on Bangladeshi national Tareq Rahman, 45, after he pleaded guilty to the charge and apologised for his actions.
She ordered Rahman to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest on Aug 10 and serve six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
According to the charge sheet, Rahman had given RM400 to the assistant enforcer as an inducement to not take action against his premises for not possessing a valid business licence.
He committed the offence at about 6pm at a premises in Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin on Aug 10.
The charge under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act is punishable under Section 24.
It provides a jail term of not more than 20 years; and a fine not more than five times the bribe sum or RM10,000; whichever is higher.
Deputy public prosecutor Irna Julieza Maaras asked the court to mete out a heavy sentence on the accused.
"His act of giving bribes to a civil servant shows he does not respect the country's laws.
"A heavy sentence will reflect the seriousness in combating such crimes," she said.
Rahman, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a light penalty.
He said he was supporting his wife and two children aged 22 and 24 in Bangladesh.
"I apologise for my actions," he said.