Hydroshoppe Director Gets Temporary Release Of Passport To Go To UK

KUALA LUMPUR,  Sept 3 (Bernama) -- The Sessions Court here today allowed an application by Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd director Datuk Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh for the temporary release of his passport to go to the United Kingdom (UK).

Judge Suzana Hussin granted the application after Deputy Public Prosecutor Dr Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin did not object to it.

Earlier, lawyer Weera Premananda, representing Abdul Hamid Shaikh, told the court that his client needed the passport today for his travel to the UK for business and also to send his daughter for further studies there.

He said Abdul Hamid Shaikh would be in the UK from Sept 10 to Nov 15.

On Apr 5 last year, Abdul Hamid Shaikh, 50, was charged with offering a bribe to Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who was then the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, made through Datuk Tan Ser Lay, 60, as an inducement to expedite the takeover of the management and administration of the Kuala Lumpur Tower concession by Hydroshoppe.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Federal Government Administration Centre, Putrajaya, between July and August 2022

The charge was framed under Section 16(6)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009, with the offence punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction. 

Hydroshoppe is also charged under Section 17A(1)(a) of the MACC Act 2009 as a commercial organisation for jointly offering the bribe to Tan for Annuar’s benefit, at the same location and dates.

This charge is punishable by a fine of at least 10 times the bribe amount or RM1 million, whichever is higher, or up to 20 years in prison, or both, upon conviction.

-- BERNAMA