Former bank sales manager claims trial to 58 graft charges involving over RM600,000

MELAKA: A former sales manager with a bank has claimed trial to 58 charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM600,903.

The bribes were allegedly from two law firms to facilitate housing loan case referrals to the Malaysia Building Society Berhad (MBSB) Bank over the past eight years.

Mohamad Faqih Mustapha pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read out before Sessions judge Elesabet Paya Wan in Ayer Keroh here on Wednesday (Feb 19).

For 29 charges of soliciting bribes, the accused allegedly requested a total of RM304,585 from one law firm and RM880 from another firm at a restaurant in Plaza Mahkota and at MBSB Bank between June 2017 and September 2022.

The amount was allegedly an inducement to secure case referrals related to housing loan transactions with the bank by an executive officer under his supervision.

The accused also faced 29 charges of receiving bribes totalling RM295,438 from the same law firms for allegedly helping them obtain case referrals at Maybank’s Melaka Branch on Jalan Hang Tuah between May 21, 2018 and Sept 13, 2022.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.

If convicted, the accused faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail and a fine of at least five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

MACC prosecuting officers Noor Julieana Yahaya and Nur Syakila Yaacob proposed bail of RM210,000 for all the charges, along with conditions that the accused surrender his passport to the court and report to the Melaka MACC office every month.

Lawyer Andrew Lourdes, representing the accused and assisted by Chua Yong Yi, requested that bail be reduced to RM60,000 as Faqih had been unemployed for 14 months and was supporting his wife and three children.

The court set bail at RM87,000 with one surety, along with the conditions requested by the prosecution.

April 17 was fixed for next mention.