A three-member bench comprising Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, Azman Abdullah and Azmi Ariffin dismissed Abu Bakar’s final appeal against his conviction and sentence.
The court issued a committal warrant for the 74-year-old, who had been released on bail of RM45,000 in one surety, and ordered him to begin his jail term immediately.
In 2018, the sessions court sentenced Abu Bakar to 26 months in prison and fined him RM133,326.40 after convicting him of accepting bribes, including hotel stays and RM20,000 in cash, from a company owner between 2014 and 2015.
His appeal to the High Court in 2022 was dismissed and he has since paid the fine.
Azmi, delivering the unanimous decision today, ruled that Abu Bakar’s appeal lacked merit and that the evidence against him was overwhelming.
He said the court also found the testimonies of the two prosecution witnesses to be credible, and rejected the defence’s claim that they were accomplices.
The court also dismissed Abu Bakar’s request to serve his jail terms concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of 26 months.
On Nov 23, 2018, the sessions court sentenced Abu Bakar to two months in prison and fined him RM10,486.40 for accepting bribes in the form of hotel accommodation from Mazlan Jamalludin to award his company, Syarikat Warna Gergasi Sdn Bhd, a contract at Batu Dam.
The offence was committed at a hotel at Pantai Bagan Lalang in Sungai Pelek, Sepang, between Nov 28 and Nov 30, 2014.
Abu Bakar was further sentenced to four months in prison and fined RM22,840 for accepting bribes in the form of hotel accommodation from Mazlan to retain the contract.
The offence was committed at a hotel at Teluk Kemang in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, between June 12, 2015 and June 14, 2015.
He was also sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined RM100,000 for accepting a RM20,000 bribe from Mazlan to avoid interfering with the contract. This occurred between June 12 and June 14, 2015, at a hotel in Teluk Kemang.
In a related case, former DID draughtsman Nasir Isa, 53, was found guilty of accepting bribes from the same company.
He was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined RM222,500 by the sessions court. His appeal to the High Court was later withdrawn.
Deputy public prosecutors Noralis Mat and Asraf Tahir from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission represented the prosecution, while Abu Bakar was represented by lawyer Ainur Azalia Ayoub.