Every officer or employee of the city is forbidden and prohibited from soliciting, accepting or receiving, directly or indirectly, and every public utility, corporation, person having or contemplating any contract with the city or owner of a franchise granted by the city, or agent, officer, attorney or employee thereof, is forbidden and prohibited from offering or giving, directly or indirectly, to any such officer or employee of the city, any commodity or service furnished by such public utility corporation or owner of a franchise, or any reduction in the rate thereof to which the public generally are not entitled, or any present, gift or gratuity of any kind. A viola-tion of any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed a misdemeanor. Every officer or employee of the city who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of malfeasance and shall be removed from office.