Case disposed of through plea bargain.
- Escaped up to 20 years’ imprisonment
- Tan prepared to plead guilty to amended charge provided he would only be fined
- Tan would be a prosecution witness in Tengku Adnan’s trial
Businessman Datuk Tan Eng Boon pleaded guilty to abetment today as an alternative to his initial charge of bribing former Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
Tan, a property development firm director, had on November 15 last year claimed trial to bribing Tengku Adnan with RM1 million through a Public Bank cheque of Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd deposited into the latter’s CIMB account.
Tan was initially charged under Section 24(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act which provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of five times the gratification amount, upon conviction.
Tan, 70, pleaded guilty to an amended charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries a two-year jail term or a fine or both, upon conviction.
The High Court fined Tan RM1.5 million.
“I took into account public interest and the interest of the accused in imposing the sentence,” the judge said.
Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said Tan will be sentenced to one year in prison if he fails to pay by tomorrow.
Earlier today, deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim and Tan’s lawyer, Faisal Moideen, conducted a plea bargain before Nazlan.
Julia later told reporters that Tan had been prepared to plead guilty to the amended charge provided he would only be fined.
Nazlan, in imposing the sentence, said he took into account that Tan pleaded guilty at the earliest opportune time.
“This has saved a lot judicial time in a corruption trial,” he said, adding that Tan was also a first offender.
Nazlan said he also considered that Tan abetted with another person in committing the crime in which both were jointly charged.
“However, corruption is a serious crime as it undermines the social and economic development of a country. It also destroys the social fabric of the society,” he said.
After taking the plea bargaining into consideration, the judge said a fine of RM1.5 million or a year’s jail was an appropriate sentence.
Julia said Tengku Adnan’s trial has been scheduled to begin on Thursday and Tan would be a prosecution witness.