KOTA KINABALU: The suspected mastermind of an illegal lottery syndicate was fined RM6,600 by the Tawau Special Corruption Court on four separate charges of offering bribes to policemen.
Tai Nyuk Kong, 45, pleaded guilty before Judge Jason Juga after all four charges under Section 25 (3) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 were read to him.
The law provides for a fine not exceeding RM10,000, imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
According to all the charges, the accused failed to report to the authorities in relation to giving bribes worth between RM200 and RM500 to policemen outside various banks in Tawau and Lahad Datu between April 19 to June 2, 2021.
The bribes to the policemen were an inducement for them not to interfere with his illegal gambling ticket sales activities around the Tawau district.
In this case, the prosecution was led by Sabah MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Izzati Sapifee, who had asked for an appropriate sentence as the offence committed by the accused involved a case of public interest.
Tai, who was not represented, appealed for leniency as he was supporting five children and an ailing mother.
In handing down the sentence, the judge ordered the accused to be imprisoned for up to three months if he fails to pay the fine. He paid the fine.
