JOHOR BARU: Three Immigration Department officers have been charged over alleged involvement in "counter setting" activities involving entry and exit stamps for passports, as well as criminal breach of trust involving club funds.
Shamsul Hezzam Sudin, 50, Mohd Asrof Tukiman, 48, and Ruhaya Hamzah, 39, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read separately before Sessions judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail here on Tuesday (Jan 27).
According to the charge sheet, Shamsul, a senior officer, was accused of agreeing to receive RM8,000 in cash from one Lim Yew Kuang, 56, in exchange for assisting with the endorsement of Malaysian entry and exit stamps without the physical presence of passport holders, which violated conditions under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The alleged offence took place between July 7 and 8 last year at Bukit Saujana here.
Asrof, meanwhile, was charged with three counts of agreeing to receive RM6,490 as inducement for the same purpose.
The offences were allegedly committed on May 21 and 25, and June 2 last year at a bank branch in Taman Seri Bahagia here.
Both were charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of not more than two years, or a fine, or both upon conviction.
Ruhaya, an assistant Immigration superintendent who served as treasurer of the Kelab Kebajikan Rekreasi Inovasi dan Sukan (K-K-R-I-S) at the Immigration Department’s Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Tanjung Kupang, was charged with CBT involving RM61,300 in club funds.
According to the charge sheet, the single mother allegedly used the money for her own benefit between Jan 26 and Nov 15, 2023, at a bank branch in Kulai.
She was charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code for dishonest misappropriation of property, which carries not more than five years' imprisonment, caning and a fine upon conviction.
Judge Ahmad Kamal then set bail at RM8,000 for Shamsul and RM10,000 each for Asrof and Ruhaya, with one surety each, respectively.
He also fixed Feb 27 for mention and submission of documents for Shamsul and Asrof, while Ruhaya’s case was set for March 11.
All three posted bail.
