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Tourism Promotion Board DG charged for corruption

Date: Aug 13, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board director general Datuk Mirza Mohd Taiyab Beg Mirza Hadi Hassan Beg today claimed trial in the Sessions Court with receiving a bribe in the form of dental treatment worth RM13,860 three years ago.

Mirza, 51, was alleged to have received the bribe from Zulhisyam Ayob, 48, a director of Perunding Pakar Media Sdn Bhd which he knew was connected to his duties when he was the board's Deputy Director General I.

Zulhisham is alleged to have paid with a Maybank cheque the cost of Mirza's dental treatment at Clinical Practice Prosthodontics Sdn Bhd at 15, Jalan 2/71 off Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad, Taman Tun Dr Ismail between Jan 17, 2005 and July 26, 2005.

The offence of accepting without consideration valuable things in connection with his official functions as a civil servant, is under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah from the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) urged the court to fix bail at RM20,000 with one surety.

He said the amount was reasonable considering the amount of bribe involved and Mirza's position as a senior government officer.

Mirza's lawyer, Manmohan Kang however asked that he be freed on a personal bond considering that he "had served Tourism Malaysia for almost 23 years with an exemplary service record and would not abscond."

Judge Fathiyah Idris set trial for three days from Feb 16 to 18 next year and set bail at RM5,000 with one surety.

Bernama reported that before he was charged, Mirza was at the ACA headquarters in Putrajaya for more than three hours to give his statement.

He arrived there at 6.50am and was seen leaving the complex at 10.15am in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, before arriving at the court at 10.54am.

Source: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=24653

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