Former travel agency staff charged with accepting more than RM130,000 in gratification for Umrah flight tickets

KUALA LUMPUR - A former supervisor of a tourism company was charged in the Sessions Court here today with 11 counts of soliciting and accepting bribes worth more than RM130,000 as gratification to help obtain 6,051 flight tickets to perform the Umrah for three travel companies four years ago.

For the first and second charges, Muhammad Fariz Jamaluddin, 35, was accused of corruptly soliciting and accepting two mobile phones from Myway Haramain Travel Services Sdn Bhd managing director Ab Hakimee Abdullah as gratification for helping to secure 2,231 Saudi Airlines flight tickets for Umrah pilgrims who had made bookings with the company.

The two mobile phones are a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and an Iphone 14 Pro Max 1TB worth RM7,299 and RM8,299, respectively.

For the other nine charges, Muhammad Fariz was charged with soliciting and accepting RM110,280, two mobile phones of the same brands and a set of SONY FE 35MM F1.4 GM LENS brand camera lenses worth RM6,600 from Ab Hakimee and two other managing directors of different travel companies.

They are Mohd Zahid Saaizan and Abdul Rahim Ibrahim of Alam Shah Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd and Busyra Holidays Sdn Bhd, respectively.

Muhammad Fariz was alleged to have solicited the money and mobile phones as gratification to help secure 6,051 flight tickets for Umrah pilgrims who had booked their travel with the three travel agencies.

All the offences were allegedly committed at several locations here between Dec 16, 2019, and Feb 7, 2023.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law, which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Judge Azura Alwi allowed Muhammad Fariz bail of RM40,000 for all charges with two sureties and also ordered him to report himself at the Kuala Lumpur branch MACC office once a month pending disposal of the case.

The court set Sept 18 for mention for submission of documents.

Deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh prosecuted, while lawyer Ridha Abdah Subri represented the accused. - BERNAMA