BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The former director of Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB) has been charged with corruption, after an investigation revealed that he allegedly accepted a luxury car in exchange for promoting the assistant head of the news division.
Hj Muhammad Suffian Hj Bungsu, who is now a deputy permanent secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, allegedly accepted a Mercedes AMG Sports car from Jonathan Kho Chew Sen back in 2014, who at the time was assistant chief in the News and Current Affairs Division at RTB.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau said the car was intended as a bribe to secure a promotion.
Both men were charged in court on Monday under the Anti-Corruption Act, but no plea was taken. The defendants were released on court bail and will appear before the magistrate again on April 25.
They face a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a fine of up to $30,000 if convicted.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Hjh Suriana Hj Radin and Nurul Fitri Kiprawi appeared on behalf of the prosecution, while neither defendant was represented by counsel.