KUALA LUMPUR – The son of Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving a RM100,000 bribe.
Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, 40, claimed trial at the sessions court here today after the charge was read before judge Rozina Ayob.
The accusation revolves around the purported acceptance of a bribe to facilitate the appointment of two companies, Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd and Per My Solutions, as marketing consultants for IT service management company Heitech Padu.
This charge is connected to Heitech Padu’s bid for a RM33 million tender from the Companies Commission of Malaysia for various services.
If found guilty under Section 16(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, Faisal faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a fine amounting to five times the bribe’s value, or RM10,000.
Judge Rozina granted Faisal bail at RM25,000 with one surety and instructed him to surrender his passport to the court until the case reaches a resolution.
The court has scheduled July 5 for the next mention of the case.
Notably, this is not Faisal’s first legal entanglement. He previously pleaded not guilty to nine charges related to the alleged misappropriation of subsidised cooking oil at the Seremban sessions court in April. – June 5, 2024