Customs Officer Charged With Accepting RM900 As Bribe From Three Bangladesh Passengers At KLIA

SEPANG, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- An Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) was charged at the Sessions Court here today with accepting RM900 as an inducement to release medicines belonging to nine Bangladeshi passengers.

The accused, Kufariz Iskandar Zulfkifli, 30, was charged with committing the offence while conducting a baggage check at the RMCD Passenger Inspection Branch, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 at about 1.30pm on Nov 14, last year.

He was charged under Section 137 (1)(b) of the Customs Act 1967, which is punishable under Section 137 (1) of the same act and if convicted, carries a jail term of up to five years or a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or both and is detained from holding a position in the public service. 

Kufariz Iskandar pleaded not guilty and asked to be tried after the charges were read out.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Akhilah Rosmi proposed bail be set at RM10,000 and the passport surrendered to the court until the case is settled. 

However, Kufariz Iskandar who was ot represented pleaded for a lower bail amount due to his commitments in looking after his children, mother and two siblings who are still in school and also due to insufficient savings.

Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman who advised Kurariz to engage the services of a lawyer, set bail at RM7,000 and set Dec 16 for remention of the case and also consented to the prosecution’s request to surrender his passport to the court.

-- BERNAMA