KL Tower concession: RM500k per year bribe case trial begins May 7

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 26): The Sessions Court here today fixed 17 days beginning May 7 for the trial of a company director charged with offering a RM500,000-a-year bribe for 15 years in connection with the takeover of the Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower) concession.

Judge Suzana Hussin set the dates after they were agreed upon by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Public Prosecutor Elyza Amira Habeeb Rahman and counsel Tang Jia Yearn, representing Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd director Datuk Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh.

“The court fixes the trial dates on May 7 and 8, June 5, July 20 to 22, Aug 28, Oct 5 to 7 and 19 to 21, and Dec 1 to 4, 2026, and sets March 18 for case mention for the prosecution to submit its list of witnesses,” the judge said.

Earlier, Elyza Amira requested that a mention date be fixed for the prosecution to submit its list of witnesses.

“We will also inform the court of the status of the defence’s appeal in the High Court on the mention date,” she said, adding that the appeal is scheduled for hearing on March 6.

The defence has filed an appeal against the Sessions Court’s ruling for the cases involving Abdul Hamid Shaikh and Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd to be heard together.

On April 5, 2023, Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 52, is accused of offering a bribe through Datuk Tan Ser Lay, 60, as an inducement for then-Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa to expedite the management and administration takeover of the KL Tower concession by the company.

The offence allegedly occurred at the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia in Putrajaya between July and August 2022.

He is charged under Section 16(6)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of either five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Hydroshoppe is also charged under Section 17A(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 as a commercial organisation for jointly offering the bribe to Tan for Annuar’s benefit, at the same location and dates.

This charge is punishable by a fine of at least 10 times the bribe amount or RM1 million, whichever is higher, or up to 20 years in prison, or both, upon conviction.

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