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2011 MarsdenLR 4266
MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA SHAH ALAM
PENDAKWA RAYA LWN. DATO SERI MOHD KHIR TOYO
[Perbicaraan Jenayah No: 46-3-2010]
The court held that a public servant accepting inadequate consideration for valuable property, knowing of the vendor's business ties, constitutes a violation of Section 165 of the Penal Code, warranting serious punishment.
Headnote:(A) Penal Code - Section 165 - Public Servant - Acceptance of valuable things without adequate consideration - The accused was charged with obtaining property at an inadequate price from an entity with business dealings related to his official capacity, thereby constituting an offense under Section 165. (Paras 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 36, 51, 55)
(B) Public Interest vs Private Interest - The court emphasized the primacy of public interest over private interest regarding corruption cases involving public servants, warranting a deterrent sentence for misuse of public trust. (Paras 52, 56, 58)
Facts of the case:
The accused, a public servant, was alleged to have purchased property from a company at RM3.5 million, a price known to be below the market value of RM6.5 million, despite his awareness of the seller's business ties to his official position. (Paras 1, 34, 55)
Findings of Court:
The accused was found guilty of the charge as prima facie evidence was established, showing he knowingly acquired the property at an inadequately low price, leading to a sentence as the crime involved serious implications for public trust. (Paras 34, 62)
Issues: Whether the accused's purchase of the property at an inadequate price constituted a violation of Section 165 of the Penal Code, and the appropriate sentence for the offense. (Paras 30, 51, 55)
Ratio Decidendi: The court concluded that the accused's conduct as a public servant was not only a breach of the law but also fundamentally undermined public confidence in governmental integrity, justifying a custodial sentence. (Paras 51, 54, 58)
Result: The accused was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and the forfeiture of the acquired property. (Paras 58, 61)
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. assertion of offense under penal code s. 165 (Para 1 , 2 , 3) |
| 2. clarification of terms and understanding of 'public servant' (Para 4 , 5 , 12) |
| 3. arguments regarding adequate vs inadequate consideration (Para 6 , 7 , 9) |
| 4. assessment of market price impacts knowledge of value (Para 10 , 11) |
| 5. credibility and consistency of witness testimony (Para 14) |
| 6. debate on reluctance for appropriate valuation (Para 19 , 20 , 30) |
| 7. examining credibility of witnesses and context of statements (Para 28 , 29 , 31) |
| 8. judicial principles on sentencing and public interest (Para 34) |
| 9. defendant's arguments as counter to prosecution claims (Para 35 , 36) |
Pertuduhan
[1]"Bahawa kamu pada 29 Mei 2007 di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar Selangor, Jalan Permata 7/1, Seksyen 7, Shah Alam, di dalam Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan, sebagai seorang penjawat awam iaitu Menteri Besar Kerajaan Negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan, telah mendapat untuk diri kamu dan isteri kamu, Zahrah Binti Kechik (650216- 08-5432), suatu barang yang berharga dengan suatu balasan yang kamu ketahui tidak mencukupi iaitu dua lot tanah dan sebuah rumah yang terletak di alamat No 8 & 10, Jalan Suasa 7/11, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, daripada Ditamas Sdn Bhd melalui Shamsudin Bin Hayroni, Pengarah Ditamas Sdn Bhd, dengan harga RM3.5 juta sedangkan hartanah tersebut telah dibeli oleh Ditamas Sdn Bhd pada Disember 2004 dengan harga RM6.5 juta, yang mana kamu mengetahui bahawa Shamsudin bin Hayroni mempunyai hubungan dengan kerja-kerja rasmi kamu dan oleh yang demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan yang boleh dihukum di bawah s 165 Kanun Keseksaan ".
[2] Seksyen 165 Kanun Keseksaan :-
165. Whoever, being a public servant, accept or obtains, or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain, for himself or for any other person, any valuable thing, without consideration, or for a consideration which he knows to be inadequate, from any person whom he knows to have been, or to be, or to likely to be concerned in any proceeding or business transacted, or about to be transacted, by such public servant, or having any connection with the official functions of himself or of any public servant to whom he is subordinate, or from any person whom he knows to be interested in or related to the person so concerned, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.
Illustrations
(a) A, a judge, hires a house of Z, who has a case pending before him. It is agreed that A shall pay fifty ringgit a month, the house being such that, if the bargain were made in good faith, A would be required to pay two hundred ringgit a month. A obtained a valuable thing from Z without adequate consideration.
(b) A, a judge, buys of Z, who has a cause pending A's court, government promissory notes at a discount, when they are selling in the market at a premium. A has obtained a valuable thing from Z without adequate consideration.
(c) Z's brother is apprehended and taken before A, a magistrate, on a charge of perjury. A sells to Z shares in a bank at a premium, when they are selling in the market at a discount. Z pays for the shares accordingly. The money so obtained by A is a valuable thing obtained by him without adequate consideration.
[3] Kes Prima Facie:-
[3.1] Intipati pertuduhan yang perlu dibuktikan:-
i. Tertuduh, Dato' Seri Mohd Khir bin Toyo adalah seorang penjawat awam pada tarikh pertuduhan.
ii. Tertuduh memperolehi (membeli) hartanah yang menjadi hal perkara pertuduhan iaitu satu barangan berharga daripada seorang bernama Shamsudin bin Hayroni dengan balasan (harga belian) yang diketahui oleh tertuduh sebagai tidak mencukupi (inadequate considerations).
iii. Tertuduh mengetahui bahawa Shamsudin bin Hayroni tersebut mempunyai hubungan kepentingan perniagaan dengan urusan kerja rasmi tertuduh sebagai penjawat awam tersebut.
Penjawat Awam
[4] Dari keterangan adalah jelas, tertuduh memegang jawatan Menteri Besar Selangor iaitu seorang penjawat awam keti
