Ex-Sime senior manager acquitted of graft charge

by **hlk** Mon 18 Jul 2011, 18:00

KUALA LUMPUR: A former senior manager of Sime DarbyEngineering Sdn Bhd, Mazhazmi Jamaludin, was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court here last Friday, July 15 on a charge with accepting a RM200,000 bribe for a contract to build and sell three barge and tug vessels, worth US$134.2 million (RM420 million).

According to the court records, the decision was made by judge Rozilah Salleh following an application by the prosecution, which was represented by
deputy public prosecutor Anthony Kevin Morais, who is from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Morais made the application following the prosecution's failure to locate the key witness in the case, Redzuan Goh Mohammed Karian.

Mazhazmi, 37, was charged with accepting the payment as gratification in proposing MLC Shipbuilding Sdn Bhd to obtain a contract from Sime Darby to
construct and sell one Derrick Lay Barge (Hull No MLC 12888), a 75M (Wartsila 8000bhp) Anchor Handling Tug/Supply Vessel Hull No 75083 and a 75M (Wartsila 8000bhp) Anchor Handling Tug/Supply Vessel Hull No 75084', all worth US$134.2 million.

He was charged with accepting the money to confirm certain payments made by the shipbuilding company for the construction of the barge and tug vessels.

Mazhazmi, who was represented by lawyer Shamsul Sulaiman, was alleged to have received the money from the owner of the shipbuilding company, Redzuan Goh at the meeting room of the MLC Shipbuilding, Megan Avenue 1, Block C, 6-1 Jalan Tun Razak, between 1.25pm and 5pm on Dec 31, 2008.

He was charged under Section 11 (a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997, and if found guilty, could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years jail and fined five
times the amount of the corrupt payment or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Last April 25, Morais had applied for an order for Mazhazmi to be given a discharge not amounting to acquittal as the investigating officer still could
not locate Redzuan.

Following which, the prosecution was given three months to locate the witness. - Bernama