Op Sky: Two Bank Officers Charged With Accepting Bribes

MELAKA, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Two bank officers were charged in the Sessions Court here today with allegedly accepting bribes as an inducement to process personal loan financing applications that exceeded authorised credit limits.

Syamime Hazreen Bahrin, 37, and Nursyafiqah Abdul Latif, 29, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Judge Elesabet Paya Wan.

Syamime Hazreen, now a financial advisor at a bank in Kuala Lumpur, was charged with five counts of accepting bribes totalling RM50,581.51 via online transfer into her bank account.

The offence was allegedly committed at a bank on Jalan Hang Tuah here, between Dec 8, 2022, and July 15, 2024.

As for Nursyafiqah, who is with a bank branch in Ampang Point, Selangor, she was charged with two counts of corruptly receiving RM8,000 via online transfer into her bank account from a man for the same purpose at a bank in Masjid Tanah, Alor Gajah,  on Aug 7, 2023, and Sept 9, 2023.

The two women allegedly accepted the bribes as a reward to process loan applications for customers who had already applied for loans at other banks, causing them to exceed their borrowing limit.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 [Act 694], which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Judge Elesabet allowed Syamime Hazreen and Nursyafiqah bail of RM15,000 and RM7,000 with one surety each, respectively, and also ordered them to surrender their passports to the court, as well as report to the Putrajaya MACC office once a month. She also set  Jan 3 next year for mention.

Deputy public prosecutor Sharina Farhana Nor Sa'ari, from MACC, prosecuted, while  Syamime Hazreen and Nursyafiqah were represented by lawyers Emile Ezra Hussain and M. Manoharan, respectively.

This case stemmed from 'Operasi Sky', an investigation into bribery and money laundering involving financial consultancy firms, which was publicly reported on Sept 9. 

In a previous statement, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki revealed that the operation would lead to approximately 20 bank officers being charged under the MACC Act 2009 by late September or early October.

-- BERNAMA