Court acquits policeman over alleged bribe from suspected thief

The Alor Setar High Court today acquitted a police officer of accepting a RM2,500 “bribe” from a suspected thief seven years ago.

Judicial Commissioner Aimi Zaini Azhar held that Nazuli Nazari’s conviction under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act was unsafe.

Nazuli was accused of receiving RM2,500 from Fauzi Ahmad Masri as an inducement not to take action against him over the theft of a phone.

Last year, the sessions court found Nazuli guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison and a RM20,000 fine.

In quashing the conviction, Aimi said there was no evidence that Nazuli solicited or agreed to receive the sum as an inducement to close the case against Fauzi.

“The sessions court erred in accepting his testimony without corroborating and supporting evidence,” said the judge.

Aimi said there was also a material contradiction in the prosecution’s case regarding the purported location and method of the money handover which the lower court never examined.