JOHOR BARU: Three grade KP2 immigration officers and a restaurant owner were charged at the Sessions Court here for receiving bribes related to counter-setting issues between two and three years ago.
The accused, Md Azhar Jamal, 40, Hairizam Mohamed, 58, Ridzal Mohd Yasin, 43, and Haslan Hazilah, 57, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read separately before Sessions judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail on Wednesday (Jan 21).
According to the charge sheet, Md Azhar, who was stationed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration office, faces 14 charges for agreeing to receive bribes ranging from RM400 to RM4,500, amounting to a total of RM28,600, from a woman through online transfers from her bank account.
His duties included checking and ensuring that foreign nationals’ travel documents for entry into and exit from Malaysia were valid.
The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, between July 16, 2024, and Feb 24 last year. He faces imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine or both.
Meanwhile, Hairizam, who serves at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal, was charged with receiving RM100 from a man as an inducement to let Indonesian travellers into Malaysia without checks.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Pasir Gudang Immigration Office at about 7pm on Aug 28, 2024.
Another public servant stationed at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal was charged with two counts of receiving RM1,700 in cash from a ticket agent of a company.
The offences were allegedly committed as inducements to facilitate the entry of Indonesian travellers into Malaysia and to refrain from conducting thorough inspections on their travel documents.
He allegedly committed the crime at a toilet near the immigration counter at the Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal between April and August 2023.
Meanwhile, restaurant owner Haslan was charged with receiving RM1,200 in cash to act as a middleman to facilitate the movement of Indonesian travellers through the Muar Ferry Terminal.
The offence was allegedly committed at a restaurant in Muar in Nov 2024.
For the offences of receiving bribes, the accused were charged under Section 16(a)(B) and Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carry a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The court set bail at RM10,000 for Md Azhar, while Hairizam, Ridzal and Haslan were granted bail of RM8,000 each, with an additional condition to surrender their international passports to the court and report monthly to the nearest MACC office.
The court fixed Feb 24 and Feb 25 for the submission of documents.
