KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a business owner and his employee for allegedly offering bribes to local council enforcement officers.
The two men, aged 45 and 21, had allegedly attempted to bribe the council enforcement officers as an inducement not to take action against his gaming machine business.
In a statement, MACC said the suspects were detained and arrested at the commission’s Johor office complex on Jalan Persiaran Tanjung here at 1am to assist in investigations.
“It is understood that the suspect had allegedly offered a bribe of RM4,000 to several Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) enforcement officers as an incentive to not take action on his business premises that were operating without a valid license.
“The business premises was earlier issued a notice by MBIP to cease all operations and business activities for breaching the licensing conditions as stipulated under the council’s Business, Trade and Industrial Licensing By-laws 2018,” read the statement.
Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias, when contacted, confirmed the arrest of the two suspects.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 17 (b) of the MACC Act 2009.
“The public must avoid giving or offering bribes to any civil servants, as it is a punishable offense,” he said.
The bribery charge, an offence under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, carries a fine of no less than five times the value of the given bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher if found guilty.