IPOH, Oct 7 — Datuk Zahrah Abd Wahab Fenner, a former chief executive of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), was charged at the Sessions Court here with two counts of abetting her son Abdulazeez Wan Ruslan in accepting bribes.
Abdulazeez was also charged in the same court with two counts of corruption involving RM250,000.
Zahrah was accused of abetting with her son in receiving RM200,000 and RM50,000 from Samhan Adnan in two separate incidents at the Maybank branch in Menglembu here on May 18 and 25 last year.
The offence allegedly occurred when she was the CEO of SSM and committee member of the SSM Investment, and had approved the memorandum of Internal Affairs and Accounts, Investment and Financial Management Section titled ‘Preference Shareholder’ of the Ace Holding Company Bhd, which was dated April 18, 2018.
Zahrah was charged under Section 28 (1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is read together with Section 16 (a)(A) and 24 (1) of the same Act.
Her son was charged under Section 16 (a)(A) and 24 (1) of the same Act.
Both claimed trial.
If found guilty, both could face imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years, a fine of no less than five times the sum or value of the gratification which is the subject matter of the offence, where such gratification is capable of being valued or is of a pecuniary nature, or ten thousand ringgit, whichever is the higher.
Last Wednesday, Malay Mail reported that Zahrah was charged with 33 corruption and abetment charges amounting to RM5.71 million, while her son was hit with four counts of corruption and abetment amounting to RM160,000 at the Session Court in Kuala Lumpur.
While Abdulazeez, who is a businessman, was accused of receiving the bribes in making sure that his mother approves the memorandum to the said company.
Earlier, MACC deputy public prosecutor Nurul Wahida Jalaluddin requested both cases be transferred to the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur under Section 84 of the MACC Act, in order for the cases to be heard together with the previous charges.
Nurul also did not suggest any amount for bail as the cases need to be transferred.
Judge S. Indra Nehru then granted the request.
She also did not set any date for mention as the cases are being referred to the Session Court in Kuala Lumpur.
