SHAH ALAM, 29 FEBRUARY, 2012: Sabak Bernam Member of Parliament Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri was found guilty by the Sessions Court here today on eight counts of making false claims, involving RM80,000, when he was Sungai Air Tawar Assemblyman four years ago.

Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh made the decision after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing its case at the end of the defence case.

Abdul Rahman, 47, was ordered to enter his defence in June last year on charges of making false claims of RM10,000 each for events that never took place.

He was accused of committing the offences when he was Sungai Air Tawar Assemblyman at the Sabak Bernam District Office between Jan 21 and Feb 12, 2008.

The charges, made under Section 11(c) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997, carries a maximum imprisonment for 20 years and fine not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, for each count, upon conviction.

In the same proceeding, Abdul Rahman's aide, Rosli Busro, 44, was found guilty of abetting Abdul Rahman in committing the offences.
 
   
However, the court postponed sentencing to tomorrow following a request by lawyers  Affifuddin Hafifi and Lim Kon Keen, representing the accused, for time to prepare their mitigation.

Deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Datuk Abdul Razak Musa, prosecuted.

- Bernama