A former Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy director was charged at the Sessions Court here today with three counts of bribery amounting to RM87,000.
Mohd Iskandar King was charged under Section 16 (a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009. He could also face punishment under Section 24 of the same act.
The 42-year-old claimed trial after the charges were read to him before judge Azura Alwi.
In the first charge, he was accused of receiving RM50,000 as a reward for helping OCK Setia Engineering Sdn Bhd get a project from MCMC.
He was accused of receiving the bribe from OCK Setia Engineering consultant Mohd Azuzi Mohamed Kamil at a Starbucks Coffee branch at IOI City Mall in Putrajaya in September.
In the second charge, Iskandar was accused of receiving a cheque from Azuzi worth RM18,500 which was deposited into his wife’s account at the Bukit Jalil Golf and Country Resort on June 23, 2015. Full story on FMT.
The case is only one of many that MACC is currently investigating on MCMC. In July 2019, MCMC said it will cooperate with MACC following reports of fund mismanagement, apart from continuing reform measures that were initiated last year.
In a statement to NST, MCMC said it took serious note of the findings and recommendations raised in the latest edition of Auditor General’s Report 2018 Series 1, that had highlighted mismanagement of its RM13 million fund. They include the appointment of special officers under the Minister or Deputy Minister at a cost of RM1.22 million which is unsupported in clear detail, and the spending of RM12.81 million on corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects under ministerial directive, which is not in line with the MCMC Act 1998.
Other findings of MCMC funds being misappropriated include the Public Cellular Blocking System project, which cost up to RM215.15 million in service fees which should have been borne by the participating telecommunications company, and the channelling of some RM364.9 million in MCMC funds to third parties without an agreement.