KUALA TERENGGANU: A police officer with the rank of Inspector pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court, here, today, to two counts of receiving bribes, totalling RM23,000, in connection with a drug case he handled four years ago.
Khairul Faiz Mohamad Zaini, 37, is charged with receiving bribes totalling RM15,000 and RM8,000, respectively, from an individual, through transfers into a third-party account, before being moved to a bank account belonging to Khairul Faiz’s wife.
The bribes were allegedly given in exchange for releasing three individuals who had been arrested, and for removing syabu from police arrest reports related to raids and arrests he had handled.
He was alleged to have committed both offences at the Narcotics Criminal Investigation office, Terengganu contingent police headquarters, on Feb 26, 2021.
The charges are framed under Section 16(a) (A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same law, carrying a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
MACC deputy public prosecutor, Rabiatul Addawiyah Mohd Noorlee, requested the court to deny bail, on the grounds that the accused, who is currently working in Kedah, near the Thai border, may flee to Thailand.
However, Khairul Faiz, who was unrepresented, appealed for lower bail, citing several factors, including that he and his wife had fully cooperated with the MACC since their arrest in July last year, and had consistently reported to the MACC office every month.
In addition, he stated that, earning around RM7,000 a month, he is burdened with significant debt, while his wife is unemployed.
Judge Mohd Azhar Othman granted the accused a bail of RM7,000 in one surety for both charges. In addition, he was ordered to report to the nearest MACC office every month, surrender his passport to the court, and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.
The court fixed June 18 for mention and the submission of documents, and the appointment of a lawyer.
