MELAKA: Three policemen claimed trial at a Sessions Court here to two counts of soliciting and accepting bribes in exchange for “protecting” a couple found inside a car.
Kpl Muhammad Najib Muhamad, 36; Kpl Muhamad Adham Samsudin, 34; and L/Kpl Wan Muhammad Fauzi Zulkefli, 29, entered the plea before judge Elesabet Paya Wan yesterday.
According to the charge sheet, they were accused of soliciting bribes totalling RM3,000 as an inducement not to take further action against the lovers, who were caught together inside a vehicle last year.
The offence took place at the Melaka Tengah police station between 2.40am and 3.30am on Oct 7 last year.
The three policemen were also accused of accepting the bribe near the Jonker Walk tourist police beat between 4am and 4.30am that day.
Their charges were framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecuting officer from the MACC was Abd Muntaqim Abdul Aziz while the policemen were represented by lawyer Umar Zulkarnain.
The court granted a bail of RM8,000 each and ordered all three of them to surrender their passports and report to the MACC office here once a month until the end of their case.
The next mention date was fixed on Nov 20.
