TAWAU: A Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) employee attached to its Tawau branch and due to retire in two months was charged at the Special Corruption Sessions Court here on Monday with 39 counts of accepting bribes totaling RM30,000 over six years.
Abdul Rahim Salleh
(pic), 59, who serves as an operations assistant, pleaded not guilty to all the charges after they were read to him before Judge Elsie Primus.
According to the charge sheets, Abdul Rahim allegedly received cash payments credited into his Alliance Bank account between May 5, 2020, and Aug 1, 2022, at the bank’s Tawau branch in Jalan Utara.
The bribes were allegedly given as an inducement for him not to monitor or supervise works under Contract No. HQ.46/2019(S) for the maintenance of Jalan Sungai Mas, Jalan Maria, and Jalan Mull, Tawau.
The contract, awarded to a development company, ran for five years from August 2019 to August 2024.
Abdul Rahim, who served as assistant supervisor for the contract, is alleged to have received the money through 39 separate transactions ranging from RM200 to RM2,200.
The payments were allegedly made by two individuals, namely Chin Yun Yen, 70, an accounts manager of Caserina Development Sdn Bhd, and Liew Kim Yu, 42, the company’s site supervisor.
He was charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The court allowed bail of RM40,000 for all charges, with a deposit of RM15,000 and two local sureties with fixed addresses in Tawau.
Additional conditions imposed include reporting monthly to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Tawau office, not interfering with prosecution witnesses, and surrendering his passport to the court.
The case was fixed for mention on May 11.
Earlier, defence counsel Nur Hafizah Husna Elahab @ Lahab sought a reduction in bail, saying the accused earned only RM2,500 a month and had to spend RM800 on medical needs for one of his children, who is a person with disabilities, besides supporting his in-laws.
She added that Abdul Rahim has served with the department for 41 years and has no previous criminal record.
