Two JPJ personnel plead not guilty to corruption charge

MELAKA: Two Road Transport Department (JPJ) personnel pleaded not guilty in the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court here on Tuesday (Feb 14) to charges of corruptly offering gratification to a colleague as an inducement to not take action against lorries belonging to certain operators carrying excessive loads.

Mohd Rafi Abd Rahman, 59, allegedly offered RM600 for a period of six months to a Grade AB29 inspector at Melaka JPJ as gratification for not taking action against lorries with Pepsi or Saudagar stickers for carrying excessive loads.

The offence was committed at the car park of Bukit Katil JPJ office here between July 1 and Dec 31, 2018.

Another accused, Che Fadzlie Izwan Che Johari, 36, was charged with committing a similar offence by offering a gratification of between RM400 and RM900 to three different colleagues at the Melaka JPJ office in Bukit Katil as an inducement for not taking action against certain lorries for carrying excessive loads.

The offences were allegedly committed in the parking area and at the Enforcement Division of the Bukit Katil JPH office between Jan 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020.

The two men were charged under Section 16(b)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is the higher, if found guilty.

Judge Elesabet Paya Wan allowed the two men bail of RM12,000 with one surety each for all charges, as well as ordered Mohd Rafi and Che Fadzlie to report themselves at the MACC office in Melaka and Seremban, respectively every month. They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court.

Deputy public prosecutor from MACC Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir prosecuted in both cases, while lawyer Azalea Nazihah Zulkefli represented Mohd Rafi.

Che Fadzlie was unrepresented.

The court set April 10 for mention of both cases. - Bernama