KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The High Court here today upheld a three-year jail sentence and a RM3 million fine imposed on former Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman for abetment in a SG$200,000 (RM627,636) bribery case in connection with a rural electricity supply (BELB) project in Sandakan, Sabah, in 2016.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Aslam Zainuddin made the ruling when striking out an appeal by Mohd Arif, 64, to set aside the conviction and sentence meted out by the Sessions Court here on November 14, 2018.

Aslam also upheld the sentence of five years’ jail and RM9.6 million fine imposed on Mohd Arif’s son, Ahmad Zukhairi, 39, who was found guilty by the same Sessions Court on four counts of soliciting for and receiving bribes amounting to SG$200,000 in cash in 2016.

In his brief judgment, he said the Sessions Court which conducted Mohd Arif’s trial had not erred in deciding on the abetment charge.

"The Sessions Court also made the right decision on the elements that needed to be proved for the offence of soliciting for and receiving bribes against Ahmad Zukhairi. I hereby dismiss the appeal against the conviction and sentence, and uphold the decision by the Sessions Court judge,” he said.

Earlier, lawyer Guok Ngek Seong, representing Mohd Arif and his son, requested for a stay of execution pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

The court allowed the application and increased the bail amount from RM500,000 to RM800,000 each. — Bernama