KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — The Sessions Court today heard that former Petronas manager Mohd Khairul Akmal Mohd Jasni met informally with a senior official of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC), before a formal interview for a position at the company in 2024.
The fifth prosecution witness, a former Petronas employee, said the meeting took place before Mohd Khairul Akmal’s interview with Petros chief financial officer and chief executive officer, Mohd Azha Abdul Jalil and Datuk Janin Girie, respectively, at the company’s office in Kuching, Sarawak.
“He met Mohd Azha at the KLGCC before the formal interview, but I am not sure of the date,” the witness said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Mohd Radzuan in the trial of Mohd Khairul Akmal, who faces a charge of attempting to disclose a report to Petros in June 2024.
The witness said Mohd Khairul Akmal applied for the position of Head of Upstream Finance at Petros in 2024, while he was Manager of Business Planning Performance Review Upstream at Petronas.
When questioned by Noor Syafina whether the two positions were similar in terms of scope of duties, the witness replied, “There are similarities.”
Noor Syafina: To your knowledge, do you know the salary scale for this position at Petros?
Witness: I don’t quite remember, but he asked me how much he should request, and I gave him some advice. I suggested how much he should ask from Petros at the time.
However, the witness, whose name is withheld under the law, did not remember the suggestion given at the time.
The witness, who served with Petronas for 12 years, said that under the Petronas Code of Ethics, employees of the company must obtain prior approval before sharing any sensitive information, such as emails relating to the company.
“If you are referring to the sharing of sensitive company information, approval must first be obtained from the parties involved. As employees, we cannot share confidential and sensitive information without approval,” the witness said.
Mohd Khairul Akmal, 41, is accused of attempting to disclose information, namely, a document titled “Q1 2024 Upstream Business Performance Operational & Financial”, to Petros at a condominium in Jalan Pinang here, between 3.19pm and 3.21pm on June 8, 2024.
He had allegedly obtained the document while serving as Manager of Business Performance for a Petronas business unit.
The charge is framed under Section 203A(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511 of the same Code, which provides for a maximum fine of RM1 million or imprisonment of up to one year.
However, Section 511 caps any custodial sentence at half that term upon conviction.
The trial before Judge Mazuliana Abdul Rashid resumes tomorrow. — Bernama
