Lim Cheah Yit, 43, who was previously attached to the Penang prosecutor’s office, was charged with three counts of bribery on July 6, 2020, under Section 16 (a) (B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. He was granted bail of RM20,000.

Today, he pleaded guilty to the charges, but under Section 165 of the Penal Code.

In the first charge, Lim was accused of soliciting RM500,000 from Goh Kim Heong on March 8, 2020.

The bribe was said to be an inducement to influence the Penang prosecution director to charge one Chan Eng Leong under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating as per investigation paper No. TL/JSJK/KS/541/19 submitted by the northeast district police headquarters.

He allegedly solicited the bribe at Room 801, I am Singer Family Karaoke at the Gurney Paragon Mall in George Town.

In the second charge, Lim was accused of receiving RM100,000 from Goh for the same reason. He admitted to having done so at the MACC office in Alor Setar, Kedah on March 18, 2020.

In the third count, Lim was charged with receiving RM100,000 for the same reason, also from Goh, at AC Hotel on Jalan Bukit Gambir, Bayan Lepas at 12.19pm on June 1.

Deputy public prosecutor Mukhzany Fariz Mohd Mokhtar prosecuted while Devanandan S Subramaniam appeared for Lim.

Sessions judge Ahmad Zahari Abdul Hamid fined Lim RM50,000 for the first charge, RM40,000 for the second and RM40,000 for the third. He also ordered Lim to be imprisoned for a day for each of the three charges, which was to run concurrently.

Lim paid the fine and was sent to the Jawi prison to serve his one-day sentence.

Section 165 of the Penal Code relates to an offence of a public servant obtaining any valuable thing, without consideration, from a person concerned in any proceeding or business transacted by such a public servant. It carries a maximum two-year jail term and/or a fine.