A company manager and an assistant manager of an IT firm have been charged at the Sessions Court here with 10 counts of bribery involving the leak of information on police raids targeting illegal bitcoin mining operations.
Lai Chung Lam, 40, and Lee Chee Yong, 43, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.
They are accused of jointly paying a total of RM56,000 in bribes to an intermediary at several locations in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, between August 2020 and May 2021.
The payments were allegedly made in exchange for operational information related to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) raids on premises suspected of using electricity fraudulently for cryptocurrency mining activities.
The offences were charged under Section 16(b)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, whichever is higher upon conviction.
For five alternative charges, the duo are also accused under Section 214 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34, for allegedly continuing a common intention to provide cash gifts amounting to RM56,000 for the same purpose and recipients.
Deputy public prosecutor Noorhani Muhmmed Ayub proposed bail of RM60,000 with additional conditions, including surrendering their passports and reporting to the MACC office.
However, defence counsel Shahidah Muslimah Roslan requested a lower bail of RM20,000, citing financial constraints and family responsibilities.
The court set bail at RM25,000 each and ordered both accused to comply with additional conditions, with the case set for mention on August 14.
