Umno MP guilty of making false claims...

The sessions court in Shah Alam today found the Umno MP for Sabak Bernam, Abdul Rahman Bakri, guilty on eight counts of making false claims amounting to RM80,000.

Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh delivered the ruling after finding that the defence had failed to raise doubts on the prosecution's case.

Abdul Rahman, 47, was charged with making the claims of RM10,000 each between Jan 21 and Feb 4, 2008, when he was Sungai Ayer Tawar assemblyperson.

The court found him guilty of making eight false claims from his constituency's allocation for a series of non-existing events when he was Sungai Ayer Tawar assemblyperson.

Even if found guilty, there will be no by-election in the constituency, as Abdul Rahman has served more than two-thirds of his elected term.

Meanwhile, his aide Mohd Rusli Busro, who is charged with abetting him in making the false claims, was also found guilty.

If found guilty under theAnti-Corruption Act 1997 charges against him, Abdul Rahman will face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of five times the amount of gratification involved.

Defence to mitigate tomorrow

Judge Azhaniz Teh agreed to hear his mitigation at 11am tomorrow,  after allowing the defence application for this to be put off till then, after which the sentence will be delivered.

Abdul Rahman's lawyer Mohd Afifuddin Hafifi submitted that since the fine could possibly touch RM400,000, "we hope to seek the court's indulgence to postpone the mitigation and sentencing to tomorrow".

This, Afifuddin said, was to allow time for his client to prepare the necessary funds as the amount of fine would be more excessive than the offence.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Abdul Razak Musa, noted that it was already late and had no objection to the request.- malaysiakini

MP Sabak Bernam didapati bersalah buat tuntutan palsu

Ahli Parlimen Sabak Bernam Abdul Rahman Bakri(kiri) hari ini didapati bersalah terhadap lapan pertuduhan tuntutan palsu yang berjumlah RM80,000, tiga tahun lalu.

Abdul Rahman, 46, didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu semasa dia menjadi Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Sungai Ayer Tawar mewakili Barisan Nasional (BN).

Hakim Mahkamah Sesyen Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh membuat keputusan tersebut selepas mendapati pihak pendakwaan berjaya mengemukakan bukti tanpa keraguan munasabah.

Selain itu, mahkamah turut mendapati pembantu Abdul Rahman, Rosli Busro, 43, bersalah terhadap pertuduhan bersubahat dalam melakukan semua lapan kesalahan yang didakwa.

Abdul Rahman didakwa membuat tuntutan membeli hadiah dan cenderamata serta penganjuran jamuan Program Motivasi Pelajar Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) dan Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) di kawasan Dun Ayer Tawar.

Beliau juga didakwa membuat tuntutan menggunakan butiran palsu mengenai Program Mesra Rakyat dan Hari Keluarga KRT di Dun Sungai Ayer Tawar, Program Forum Perdana Peringkat Mukim Bagan Nakhoda Omar, program Mesra Rakyat dan Hari Keluarga Guru-guru Kemas serta Program Mesra Rakyat serta sambutan Maulud Nabi.

Semua tuntutan palsu itu membabitkan jumlah RM10,000 setiap satu.

Kesalahan itu didakwa dilakukan tertuduh antara 21 Januari hingga 12 Februari 2008 di Pejabat Daerah Sabak Bernam.- FMT

Wakil Rakyat Umno Didapati Buat Tuntutan Palsu

cheers.