Police Inspector Charged With Receiving RM11,500 In Bribes
BUTTERWORTH, April 22 (Bernama) -- A police inspector pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to to two counts of accepting RM11,500 in bribes in 2024.
Mohd Firdaus Kamal, 39, attached to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Seberang Perai Utara District Police Headquarters, was charged with receiving RM5,000 and RM6,500 in cash from an individual as an inducement to settle a case being investigated under Section 6(1) of the Betting Act 1953.
He was alleged to have committed both offences at the Criminal Investigation Division office of the Seberang Perai Utara District Police Headquarters at 5.30 pm on Aug 21, 2024, and in front of the former Plant Quarantine Office along Jalan Bagan Luar here at 3.45 pm the following day.
The charges were framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which provides for a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Earlier, MACC deputy public prosecutor Noor Azura Zulkiflee proposed bail at RM10,000 with additional conditions that the accused report to the nearest MACC office once a month and surrender his passport to the court pending disposal of the case.
However, lawyer Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, representing the accused, appealed for a lower bail, stating that his client is the sole breadwinner supporting his wife, two children aged 12 and eight, as well as his parents, on a basic monthly salary of RM3,400.
Judge Zulhazmi Abdullah granted the accused bail of RM10,000 with one surety on both charges, with all additional conditions imposed as requested by the prosecution and fixed June 12 for mention.
Yesterday, the Penang MACC office detained an enforcement officer when he turned up to give his statement, on suspicion of soliciting and receiving about RM11,000 in bribes in exchange for protecting foreign workers from legal action.
--BERNAMA
