JOHOR BARU: Policeman, Corporal Mohd Shariff Ahmad, 51, who is facing three charges of demanding and receiving a bribe to cover-up a drug case, pled not guilty during his arraignment before Sessions Court judge, Kamarudin Kamsun, today.
In the first charge, Mohd Shariff, who was with the crime investigation department of the Kulai district police headquarters (IPD), is accused of demanding a cash bribe of RM10,000 from Muhammad Audi Musa in front of a workshop in Kulai as inducement to cover-up a drug case being investigated by the IPD narcotics department.
In the second charge, Mohd Shariff, is accused of agreeing to receive RM3,000 cash from Muhammad Audi, and in the third charge, receiving RM3,000 cash from said individual.
Both acts allegedly took place in front of the above-mentioned workshop around 9.25pm on Dec 4, 2017 and around 8.45pm on Dec 6, 2017.
For the first two charges, Mohd Shariff is being prosecuted under Section 16 (a) (B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act.
In the third charge, he is being prosecuted under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act.
All three sections carry a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and a fine of no less than five times the value of the bribe, RM10,000, or whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The case is being handled by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecutor, Khazrin Haffiz Khalil, while the accused is being represented by lawyer, Siti Rasidah Abd Radzak.
The court granted Mohd Shariff bail of RM18,000 in one surety, for all the charges, with March 11 set for case mention. — Bernama
