PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today upheld the 30-month prison sentence and RM225,000 fine imposed on a former police officer convicted on two charges of soliciting and receiving bribes, committed nine years ago.
The three-judge panel, comprising Justices Datuk Azizah Nawawi, Datuk Azman Abdullah, and Datuk Azmi Ariffin, unanimously dismissed the appeal by Muhammad Hafizzuddin Hassan, seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision that affirmed the conviction of the Sessions Court.
Delivering the court’s decision, Justice Azizah stated, “Upon review of the evidence and findings presented by the lower courts, we are of the opinion that the conviction is safe.”
The 42-year-old former police inspector, who had been granted bail of RM20,000 with one surety pending the outcome of his appeal, is required to begin serving his prison sentence immediately.
On June 1, 2020, the Sessions Court convicted Muhammad Hafizzuddin of accepting RM15,000 in bribes from Abdul Ghani Ismail, 54, allegedly in exchange for his senior officer’s intervention to resolve a Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) case involving Ridduan Ahmad, aged 50.
The offence was committed at the office of the defendant at the Barat Daya District police headquarters in Balik Pulau, Penang, at approximately 3.00 pm on April 8, 2015.
The Sessions Court sentenced Muhammad Hafizzuddin to 30 months imprisonment and imposed a fine of RM75,000, in default six months imprisonment.
He was also convicted on a second charge of attempting to solicit a bribe of RM30,000 from Abdul Ghani Ismail, which took place inside a vehicle at Lebuh Pekaka in Taman Pekaka, Penang, at approximately 6.20 pm on May 18, 2015.
The Sessions Court sentenced him to 30 months imprisonment and a fine of RM150,000, in default eight months imprisonment for this charge, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently.
Muhammad Hafizzuddin appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal following the High Court’s dismissal of his appeal on March 24, 2023.
He was represented by lawyer C.P. Ang, while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutors Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan, Dr. Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin, Noor Azura Zulkiflee, and Afiqa Liyana Rozman appeared for the prosecution.
