KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 ― A Youth and Sports Ministry senior officer was charged today with 32 counts of corruption involving RM38.5 million in federal funds.
Otman Arsahd, 57, claimed trial to the 17 charges under the Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and another 15 under Section 23(1) of the same Act.
Otman, who is a division secretary in the ministry, was accused of forging documents and abusing his position and power during a period stretching from February 28, 2012 to November 18, 2015.
Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Allaudeen Ismail allowed Otman to be released on a bail of RM250,000 with two sureties, along with him putting up a grant for 1.029 hectares of land.
DPP Amir Nasruddin initially asked for bail to be set at RM1 million, but Otman’s defence lawyer Mohd Farid Abdul Aziz sought a lower sum, noting that his client’s bank account has been frozen and that he would only be able to afford a RM100,000 bail along with the land grant.
The judge also ordered Otman to surrender his passport until the end of his trial and fixed April 21 for mention.
According to the 15 counts of Section 23(1) charges read out to Otman, he is accused of using his position as the ministry’s finance division secretary to direct the National Sports Council’s director-general to make fund transfers amounting to over RM2.16 million to a company on 15 occasions from May 2, 2012 to November 18, 2015.
He was said to have ordered the payments in amounts between RM50,000 and RM250,000 to Dial Ex Sdn Bhd where his two sons Arif Azuan and Arif Azmin had vested interests, purportedly for events such as Futsal Programme 2012, an F1 supplementary event in 2013, and supplementary futsal events in 2013 and 2014.
Section 23(1) covers the offence of a public body’s officer using his position for the gratification either of himself, his relatives or his associates.
According to the Section 18 charges, Otman was accused of submitting documents with false information on 17 occasions to National Sports Council finance division director Abdul Rashid Yaakub regarding payment amounting to a total of RM36.3 million to three other companies.
The submission of these letters regarding payment through the ministry’s account in NSC was allegedly done during the period of February 28, 2012 up until November 18, 2015.
The documents contained false information on payment to three companies – Enconic Corporation Sdn Bhd, GPO Essence Sdn Bhd and Gapa Jitu Sdn Bhd – for work that were actually not carried out.
The payment related to alleged work such as those involving ministry events, procurement and supply of equipment for alleged ministry programmes, publicity events, the Mesra Belia Karnival in 2013 and 2014 and Merdeka Day celebrations in 2013.
The work that was not carried out also included a programme under the deputy minister’s office, procurement of sports equipment and an open day event under the ministry.
Section 18 covers the offence of intention to deceive the principal by agent.
All offences were said to have been committed at the office of the National Sports Council at the Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex.
If convicted under any count of the corruption charges, Otman will face a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine that is at least five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, depending which amount is higher.
