Three cops in the dock for asking for RM20,000 in bribes

JOHOR BARU: Three policemen have been charged at the Sessions Court here with asking for a total of RM20,000 in bribes.

Kons S. Logeshvaran, 31, Kons Rhomarino Rafie, 33, and Insp Isa Ahmad, 30, pleaded not guilty in front of Sessions Judge Kamarudin Kamsur.

Logeshvaran was alleged to have asked RM2,000 from one S. Ravi, 49, for not taking action against him for hiring illegal foreign workers.

He was accused of committing the offence at a petrol station at Taman Nusa Perintis in Gelang Patah at around 2pm on June 12 last year.

Logeshvaran was also alleged to have received that same amount from Ravi on the same date at around 4.40pm.

He was charged under Section 16 (A)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act (Act 694) and Section 17(A) of the same Act, and could be punished under Section 24.

If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years’ jail and a fine five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

He pleaded not guilty and Kamarudin set bail at RM9,000 and May 8 for case mention.

In an unrelated case at the same court, Insp Isa and Kons Rhomarino were charged with asking for RM18,000 some two years ago.

Rhomarino was alleged to have asked for a bribe of RM10,000 from one Zanariah Mat as an inducement to free a suspect who was in the police lockup on Dec 19, 2015.

He was accused of committing the offence at the Johor Baru (South) police headquarters on Dec 21, 2015 at around 2pm.

Rhomarino was also accused of asking for a bribe of RM7,000 from the same Zanariah at a restaurant in front of the Johor Baru (South) police headquarters on the same date, at around 5pm.

Finally, Insp Isa was alleged to have asked RM1,000 from a Wan Zanariah at the Legal Council Office in Kota Iskandar on Dec 23, 2015.

Both Rhomarino and Insp Isa were charged under Section 16(A)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 and could be punished under Section 24 of the same Act.

They pleaded not guilty and Kamarudin set RM8,000 each as bail for both, and May 8 for case mention.

The MACC was represented by prosecution officer Ridzuan Abd Malek while lawyers Muhammad Ashraff Mohd Diah, Mohamad Isa Mohamad Basir, and Mohd Asram Zakaria represented Isa and Rhomarino. Logeshvaran was not represented.