A senior defence intelligence officer pleads not guilty to accepting RM34,500 in bribes related to smuggling activities in Johor
KUALA LUMPUR: A senior military officer has pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to a charge of accepting RM34,500 in bribes last July.
The 53-year-old officer from the Warfare Planning and Campaign Branch of the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation is accused of accepting bribes from two individuals.
He allegedly received the money as an inducement not to report smuggling activities in Kota Tinggi, Johor, which fell under his official duties.
The offence was reportedly committed at a condominium in Jalan Dua, Chan Sow Lin in July 2025.
The charge is framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a substantial fine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Noralis Mat proposed bail at RM20,000 with one surety and additional reporting conditions.
The prosecution also requested the accused to surrender his passport to the court until the case is resolved.
Defence lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent requested a reduced bail of RM6,000, citing his client’s full cooperation with the MACC during investigations.
The lawyer also requested that the accused’s name be withheld due to his sensitive role in defence intelligence operations.
Judge Azura Alwi approved the application for the accused’s name not to be disclosed in media reports.
The judge set bail at RM12,000 with one surety and ordered monthly reporting to the MACC office in Kuala Lumpur.
The case has been scheduled for mention on December 2. – Bernama
