KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed 20 trial days beginning January 4, 2027, for a corruption case involving Hydroshoppe Sdn. Bhd. and its director over the takeover of the concession for Menara Kuala Lumpur.
High Court judge Noor Ruwena Md. Nurdin set the trial dates for January 4 to 7, February 2 to 4, March 16 to 18, as well as June 8 to 10, June 14 to 17 and June 21 to 23 next year.
The court also scheduled August 18 this year for case management and document disclosure.
The case centres on allegations that Hydroshoppe director Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh, 52, offered a bribe amounting to RM500,000 annually over 15 years for the benefit of former Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa.
During today’s proceedings, the court maintained the RM50,000 bail previously imposed by the Sessions Court together with additional conditions.
The accused is required to surrender his passport to the court and report to the Kuala Lumpur office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) once every month until the conclusion of the case.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin informed the court that both parties agreed to retain the existing bail amount, while the defence is represented by lawyer Tang Jia Yearn.
Abdul Hamid, who is also representing Hydroshoppe, maintained his not guilty plea after the case was transferred from the Sessions Court to the High Court on May 26.
According to the charge, he allegedly offered RM500,000 annually for 15 years to Tan Ser Lay for the benefit of Annuar as an inducement to expedite the takeover of the management and administration of the Kuala Lumpur Tower concession.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia in Putrajaya between July and August 2022.
The charge was framed under Section 16(b)(B) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment or a fine of five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Hydroshoppe is also facing a separate charge as a commercial organisation for allegedly being associated with the bribery offence committed by the accused.
The company is accused of offering the bribe to Tan Ser Lay for Annuar’s benefit with the same intention and at the same location and period.
The charge is brought under Section 17A(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which provides for a fine of not less than 10 times the value of the bribe or RM1 million, whichever is higher, or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
