Two policemen charged with soliciting, accepting RM2k bribe

MELAKA: Two police corporals from the Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department today pleaded not guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court to two charges of soliciting and accepting a RM2,000 bribe.

The money was allegedly offered as an inducement not to conduct urine tests on two men suspected of drug offences in January.

The accused, Mohd Zulkhairy Zakaria, 39, and Yaakub Yusoff, 42, entered their pleas before Sessions Court judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam.

On the first charge, the two accused were alleged to have corruptly solicited RM2,000 from two men, aged 39 and 42.

The money was allegedly offered as an inducement for them, as public officers and police corporals with JSPT Bukit Aman, not to conduct urine screening tests on the two complainants suspected of committing an offence under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

The offence was allegedly committed at Jalan Simpang Ampat, Alor Gajah, between 1.30am and 2am on Jan 5.

On the second charge, they were accused of accepting RM2,000 in cash from the same people for the same purpose.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area (R&R) northbound on the North-South Expressway in the Alor Gajah district at 2.45am the same day.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694) and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.

The offence carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Melaka Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Sharina Farhana Nor Sa'ari submitted that the charges were non-bailable offences, but said the court had discretion to grant bail.

The prosecution proposed bail of RM15,000 for each accused, with one surety each.

Additional conditions included reporting to the MACC office once a month, surrendering their passports to the court and refraining from contacting the complainants and prosecution witnesses.

She said the proposed bail was appropriate given the nature of the offences and reflected the seriousness with which corruption involving public servants was viewed.

Lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin, representing both accused, however, appealed for lower bail.

He said Mohd Zulkhairy, who has three school-going children, would be bailed out by his unemployed wife.

He said his client had served since 2011 and earned about RM3,700 a month.

He also supports his 62-year-old mother, who is unwell.

Yaakub has four dependants, including a youngest child aged 4, and would be bailed out by his wife, who is a teacher.

Fahmi said the two accused had a combined gross monthly income of about RM9,000.

He said both accused had previously been released on RM5,000 bail each by MACC and asked the court to impose the same amount.

The court subsequently granted bail of RM8,000 for each accused, with the conditions sought by the prosecution.

The case was fixed for mention on Nov 11 for the submission of documents.