KUCHING: Two businessmen have been remanded for six days for allegedly soliciting and receiving over RM800,000 in bribes in exchange for assisting with land lot applications in the district.
The remand order, which runs until Aug 11, was issued by Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan following an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Aug 5)
Sources said both suspects, aged in their 50s, were arrested around 8 pm on Monday (Aug 4) when they turned up at Sarawak MACC office to give their statements.
“Initial investigations found that the suspects allegedly conspired to solicit and receive bribes as inducement to facilitate applications for commercial land lots in the district — despite no such applications ever being submitted.
“The acts are believed to have taken place between 2020 and 2021,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak MACC director Hasbilah Mohamad Salleh when contacted, confirmed the arrests and the case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
If convicted, they could face a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
