Palmdale Official Faces Bribe Charges

LOS ANGELES — The assistant city engineer of Palmdale was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of soliciting bribes from a city contractor, it was disclosed this week.

Kehar Dhinsa is accused of soliciting $3,900 in bribes over a five-month period beginning last December from a contractor who checks plans for construction projects, Deputy Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Lawrence E. Mason said.

Dhinsa was arrested May 1 after the contractor, Wilson Eshoo of Lancaster, tipped off city officials about the alleged payoffs, Mason said.

Dhinsa has not yet been formally charged and is free on $3,000 bail, according to Mason. He is to be arraigned June 9 in Los Angeles Municipal Court. If convicted, Dhinsa faces a maximum four-year prison term, Mason said.