FORMER director-general of the defence intelligence division at the Defence Ministry Lt-Gen (Rtd) Sheikh Moksin Sheikh Hassan, 59, and two senior officers of the armed forces were charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today with soliciting and accepting gratification in connection with the awarding of Defence Ministry projects to a company.

Sheikh Moksin, 59, who faced seven charges, while Lt-Col Che Ahmad Idris, 54, and Brig-Gen Mohammed Feizol Anuar Ayob, 50, with five charges each, claimed trial to all offences before judge Sabariah Othman.

Che Ahmad was charged in his capacity as the then head of the strategic cyber warfare branch, defence intelligence staff division, at the ministry, with soliciting and agreeing to accept RM500,000 in gratification, as well as three counts of accepting RM105,000 from FEHM Entity Sdn Bhd (FEHM Entity) managing director Elias Jemadi Tajudin as an inducement to appoint the company through direct negotiation to carry out maintenance services at the division.

He was charged with committing the offences at Kompleks Perumahan Tun Osman Jewa, Kementah, between September 2019 and April 7.

Mohammed Feizol Anuar, was charged in his capacity as the then military adviser to the defence minister, with five counts of accepting a total of  RM128,000 from Elias through FEHM Entity executive director Hishamuddin Johari and project manager Nurin Nazwa Elias Jemadi, as an inducement for him to help submit a letter of intent by the company to be a strategic partner and contractor for maintenance of intelligence equipment at the Defence Intelligence Staff Division in the ministry.

The offences were allegedly committed at the parking area of Khalid Al-Walid mosque, Kementah; Dorsett Residences Sri Hartamas parking area; in front of FEHM Entity offices in Wangsa Maju and Persiaran Bukit Melawati, Bukit Melawati, between October 30, 2019 and June 24.

As for Sheikh Mokhsin, he was charged in his capacity as the then defence intelligence head, with soliciting and agreeing to accept RM1 million in gratification, as well as four counts of accepting a total of RM266,000 from Elias as an inducement for him to approve a proposal to appoint FEHM Entity through direct negotiation for maintenance services at the defence intelligence division.

He was alleged to have committed the offences at Havana Club, Concorde Hotel; defence intelligence office and at HairDoc Medical Publica, Solaris Dutamas, between June 20, 2019 and June 5.

Sheikh Mokhsin also faced another charge of accepting RM50,000 from one individual as an inducement in appointing Malvus Sense Sdn Bhd to carry out procurement, supply, delivery, training and providing accreditation for two special systems at the defence intelligence division at 2.30pm on June 26.

All the charges, under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2008, carries a maximum 20 years’ jail and fine of not less than fives times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

The court allowed them bail with one surety each – RM80,000 for Che Ahmad, Feizol (RM60,000) and Sheikh Moksin (RM110,000).

All of them were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court and to report themselves at the nearest MACC office once a month.

The court set November 27 for mention for submission of documents.

Deputy public prosecutors Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir, Nik Isfahanie Tasnim Wan Abd Rahman and Siti Noor Hafizan Zakaria, while lawyers Gooi Soon Seng, Azrul Zulkifli Stork and P.G. Cyril  Ahmad, represented Che Ahmad, Feizol and Sheikh Moksin respectively. – Bernama, October 27, 2020.