KUALA LUMPUR: Four policemen pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to accepting more than RM11,000 in gratification as an inducement to not take action against a Bangladeshi woman for possession of a fake passport.
Corporal Muhammad Fariduddin Ibrahim, 43, Sergeant Mohd Hashifuddin Md Nadirin, 39, Lance Corporal Mohamad Suhairi Hashim, 30, and Corporal Mathew Kilat, 36, who were jointly charged with the offence, made the plea before Judge Suzana Hussin.
They were charged with accepting RM11,700 in gratification from one Md Masud Abdul Latif as an inducement not to take action against the woman, Baishaki Aktar Mim, for possessing a fake passport.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Jalan Tun Razak Police Station at 9 pm on Aug 21 last year.
The charge, under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted.
The four policemen also pleaded not guilty to an alternative of jointly accepting the money from Md Masud at the same place and time.
The alternative charge was framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code for obtaining valuable things without consideration from a person concerned in any proceeding or business transacted by them as public servants.
The court allowed them bail of RM6,000 with one surety each and set April 25 for mention. They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court and to report themselves at a MACC office once a month.
Prosecuting officer from MACC Afiqah Ab Razak prosecuted, while lawyers AS Dhaliwal, Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed and m Salim Bashir represented Muhammad Fariduddin, Mohd Hashifuddin and Mohamad Suhairi, respectively.
Mathew was unrepresented. –Bernama
