KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court has acquitted and discharged the former head of a ministry's corporate communications unit from a charge of receiving a RM5,268 bribe three years ago.
Judge Suzana Hussin made the decision Wednesday (June 3) after Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuting officer A. Selvam informed the court that the accused, Nur Fazreen Mohamad Kamal, 45, had paid a compound following a representation submitted to the prosecution.
"On May 7, the MACC offered a compound under Section 92 of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001, and the accused paid the compound on May 12.
"Therefore, the prosecution requests that the main charge under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 and the alternative charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code against the accused be withdrawn," he said, without disclosing the amount of the compound.
Lawyer T. Sivaranjeni, representing Nur Fazreen, confirmed that her client had settled the compound payment and requested that the mother of four be discharged and acquitted of the charges.
After hearing applications from both parties, judge Suzana then discharged and acquitted Nur Fazreen.
"Given that the accused has paid the compound as offered by the MACC, the court grants the defence application for the accused to be discharged and acquitted of these charges," she said.
Nur Fazreen was accused of receiving a RM5,268 bribe from a woman as partial payment for a gold bracelet, being inducement to verify exhibition equipment rental services for a company.
The act was allegedly committed at a bank in Jalan Bukit Bintang here on May 11, 2023.
The charge was framed under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act punishable under Section 24(1), which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted. – Bernama
