Lenggeng rep guilty of corruption

Lenggeng assemblyman Mustafa Salim was found guilty of corruption — raising the possibility of another by-election.

Sessions Court judge Amran Jantan fixed April 1 for sentencing.

The court had earlier found Mustafa guilty of accepting a RM2,000 bribe from a contractor as inducement to issue a support letter to mine sand, more than two years ago.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) representative in the Negri Sembilan State Assembly was however acquitted of two counts of soliciting bribes from M. Manimaran for the same purpose.

A former teacher, 51-year-old Mustafa was acquitted on April 14, 2010 of three charges of bribery by the Sessions Court without entering a defence.

However, the prosecution appealed the verdict and the High Court ordered him on November 3 to submit a defence.

He was found guilty under section 10(a)(aa) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 that carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the value of the bribe.

Under the state constitution, an assemblyman will be disqualified from the assembly if sentenced to at least a year in prison or fined RM2,000 or more.

The final date for a by-election in Negri Sembilan is April 25 as any vacancy three years after the first sitting of the assembly after it has been dissolved need not be filled.

However, Mustafa may choose to appeal against his conviction which would delay his disqualification even if the decision is upheld.

Mustafa beat Zulkefly Mohamad Omar from PAS by 5,555 votes to 4,270 in the March 2008 election.



comments


If a by-election is called, my prediction is BN will retain the seat. For what reason? The local voter can tolerate having another corruption representative. orrr....

It will be a fine of less than RM2, 000 and Mr Lenggeng will still be a BN assemblyman...if it was a PR man, you could be assured the letter for by election would be out by another BN crony the EC, by early next week....all this is the 1 Malaysia way of doing things , we area all citizens of 1 country but have a different set of laws...