BY Fadley Faisal

A civil servant duo were charged in the Magistrate’s Court with corruption on Monday.

DPPs Hajah Suriana binti Haji Radin and Nurul Fitri binti Kiprawi’s charges allege Haji Muhammad Suffian bin Haji Bungsu, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Civil Service, Welfare, International and Media) at the Prime Minister’s office, who at the time of allegation, was a director of Radio Television Brunei (RTB), with corruption. He is purported to have received a luxury car from Assistant Chief of News and Current Affairs at RTB Jonathan Kho Chew Sen.

Kho is charged with giving Haji Muhammad Suffian the luxury car as a bribe.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) revealed that the allegations are based on their findings that on July 17, 2014, 50-year-old Haji Muhammad Suffian was a director when he received the luxury car gifted by 45-year-old Kho who was an assistant chief, as gratification for securing his promotion to acting chief. Chief Magistrate Pengiran Hajah Norismayanti binti Pengiran Haji Ismail did not record their pleas and adjourned the case to April 25.

The defendants were each released on BND10,000 court bail or two local sureties.

In this instance, the ACB reminded civil servants that acts of corruption carry penalties of a maximum of seven years’ jail and BND30,000 fine or both.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin