The Court of Appeal will announce its decision on the corruption appeals of the former ministry secretary and his son on February 20

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set February 20 to rule on the appeals of former rural and regional development ministry chief secretary Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman and his son to challenge their convictions and prison sentences in a bribery case.

Mohd Arif, 67, and his son Ahmad Zukhairi, 42, were found guilty of corruption by the Sessions Court in 2018, a verdict that was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Father and son are now appealing both the convictions and prison sentences.

Mohd Arif’s lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik confirmed the verdict date to Bernama on Thursday (Nov 21).

The appeal court’s three-judge bench, comprising Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, Datuk Lim Chong Fong and Datuk Azizul Azmi Adnan, heard the arguments of both the defense and prosecution on October 22, but postponed its decision.

Judge Vazeer, who presided over the case, has since been appointed to the Federal Court.

On November 14, 2018, the Sessions Court found 67-year-old Mohd Arif guilty of harboring Ahmad Zukhairi by accepting SGD200,000 (RM627,833) from Syarikat Wazlina Sdn Bhd director Safian Salleh.

He accepts the RM57.5 million awarded to Syarikat Eramaz (M) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Syarikat, as a welcome and incentive to secure a hybrid solar system project on four remote islands off the coast of Sandakan, Sabah. was accused. Wazlina at Royal Lake Club, Jalan Cenderamulia, Kuala Lumpur on 23 August 2016 from 16:00 to 19:00.

Mohd Arif was sentenced to three years in prison and fined RM3 million and three years in prison in case of non-payment of the fine.

Ahmad Zukhairi, a businessman, was convicted in 2016 on four counts of soliciting and receiving bribes in connection with various projects involving the rural development ministry.

He was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of RM9.6 million, with a default sentence of 10 years in prison in case of non-payment of the fine.

Their appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court on 23 March 2021 and they were asked to take their case to the Court of Appeal. -Bernama