SEREMBAN: A 34-year-old businessman was fined RM100,000 in default 24 months' jail after he pleaded guilty to a charge of giving a RM200,000 bribe to a policeman.
Mohd Zaed Asan did not contest the charge after it was read to him before Sessions Court judge Rushan Lutfi Mohamed here on Thursday (June 30).
The court also ordered that the RM200,000 bribe money be forfeited in accordance with Section 40(1)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The accused had given the money to Kpl Mohamad Taufik Sudiman as an inducement to free five of his friends detained by police on Nov 13 for alleged involvement in an online investment scam.
The bribe was, however, rejected and a case made against him.
Mohd Zaed was charged with committing the offence with another individual still at large in a car near a petrol station at the Nilai Square Commercial Centre at around 1.20am on Nov 14.
He was charged under Section 214 of the Penal Code for giving or offering gratification, read together with Section 34 for a criminal act jointly committed with others which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Mohd Zaed was initially charged under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 but pleaded not guilty.
The accused is being taken to court to be charged with his crime.
His lawyer Kamal Adha Mohd Harozi appealed to the court to impose a light sentence as his client, who was married and had two young children, had saved the court's time by pleading guilty.
He said Mohd Zaed was also remorseful and would not repeat the offence.
"He was merely following the instructions of the (other) suspect who is still at large.
"He has also been very cooperative with the police and MACC," he said.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said although the accused had pleaded guilty, the court had to strike a balance between the interest of the accused and public interest.
"We hear of so many corruption cases these days and if the court were to impose a light sentence, it would not be sending a message to the people and would-be offenders about the seriousness of the crime," he said.
He urged the court to impose a fine of between RM100,000 and RM150,000 in default 24 months' jail.
Wan Shaharuddin, who was assisted by Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamaf Ali, also commended Kpl Mohamad Taufik, his colleague Kpl Muhammad Firdaus Ghazali and their superior Asst Supt Md Nurazam Md Ghazali for being officers of high integrity in rejecting the bribe.
