Two former policemen convicted of accepting bribe, not soliciting

GEORGETOWN: Two former policemen were convicted of "accepting a bribe", and not for "soliciting" as reported in theSun's website on March 17, and in theSun on March 18.
Sgt Yang Ghazali Abu Hanifah, 58, and L-Corporal M. Vathumalai, 52, were sentenced on March 17 by Sessions Court judge Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim to a year's jail and fined RM10,000 each for corruptly receiving a RM400 bribe near Loo Yee Fish Spa and Restaurant along Lorong Madras at 12.10am on May 14, 2011.
The duo had been slapped with two charges under Section 16(a)(B) and Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, but were on March 17, acquitted and discharged on the charge of soliciting.
According to the Bernama report which was carried both in theSun and thesundaily.my, the two policemen were convicted of soliciting the bribe as an inducement for them not to take action against two Chinese nationals for allegedly working in the country without a permit.
In a notice of demand sent to theSun, their lawyers Rosli Ismail & Co, said the report was not true as "the court only found our clients guilty of accepting RM400, and not for soliciting".
"Due to the incorrect report, our clients' reputation as police officers have been damaged, as the statement portrays them as police officers who solicit bribes," the letter said.
Besides retracting the report and removing the article from the website, the letter also demanded that theSun publish an apology for making a defamatory statement and to pay their clients RM1 million each as compensation.