Abu Bakar, 62, be released and freed

PETALING JAYA: The Sessions Court here this morning found veteran television actor Abu Bakar Kasim not guilty of soliciting bribes. Sessions judge Fathiyah Idris ordered Abu Bakar, 62, be released and freed of the three bribery charges. In delivering judgment, Fathiyah said she found the prosecution, led by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Mohd Josiendra Abu Senin, had failed to prove there were any elements of bribery when Abu Bakar, former Perbadanan Stadium Merdeka (PSM) manager, awarded contracts to Tangkas Timur Sdn Bhd to carry out works at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil in 1999.

She said Tangkas Timur was indeed one of the companies which had tendered for contracts to carry out works at the National Sports Complex which is operated by PSM. Fathiyah said: "The low cost and job value quoted by Tangkas Timur was within the scope." As such, she said the awarding of the contracts to the company was in order and according to regulations set by PSM.

She added all the work the company was appointed to do were carried out. Fathiyah delivered the verdict without defense being called. In all, 13 prosecution witnesses were called. Crisply dressed in black pants and a white shirt, Abu Bakar smiled when the verdict was announced. He was accompanied by his counsel V. Rajadevan and bailor Ismail Hassan. Abu Bakar was first charged on June 29, 2004 under Section 15(1)of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 for three counts of using his PSM manager position to solicit bribes by awarding supply and service contracts in 1999, amounting to RM26,756.60, to Tangkas Timur Sdn Bhd, of which his brother-in-law Abu Hasan Lakim is a shareholder.

He was charged for awarding a contract to Tangkas Timur on Jan 14, 1999, for the company to fix and repair trolley parts for athletics worth RM11,130.60 at the National Stadium; to the same company on Jan 15, 1999 to supply and fix light bulbs at the National Squash Centre worth RM3,326; and to the same company on Jan 16, 1999 to supply red carpet at the National Stadium worth RM12,300. The crimes are punishable under Section 16 of the same Act.

Abu Bakar, from Wangsa Maju, had acted in the popular drama Opah in the 1980s. When met outside the court after the verdict, Abu Bakar told reporters he was very thankful. "All the stress I went through the past six years...I’m just relieved," he said. Abu Bakar is now pursuing his own business.