SEREMBAN: Two Negri Sembilan immigration officers have been remanded for three days starting today for soliciting RM22,000 in bribes to close the case of a restaurant owner who employed illegal foreign workers in December last year.
The remand order was issued by magistrate Rahimah Rahim after allowing the application of the Negri Sembilan Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecution officer Mohd Khairi Abdul Karim.
The two men, aged 31 and 35, were suspected of soliciting RM22,000 as bribes from the restaurant employer, who employed four illegal Indonesian workers, to close the case.
The offence was committed on December 25 last year at the office of the Negri Sembilan Immigration Department.
Both suspects were represented by Muhammad Zahid Ahmad.
On Jan 10, 2019 at the same office, the first suspect received RM6,000 from the employer for not charging the workers in court.
On Jan 25 2019, at the same location, the same suspect again received RM15,000 from the employer for not taking action against the employer in the presence of the second suspect.
The amount of bribes demanded was RM22,000, while the amount of bribes received was RM21,000.
On April 16, 2019, at about 1pm, both suspects were picked up by the Negri Sembilan Immigration Department Enforcement Division.
A sum of RM5,000 was found in the house of the first suspect while RM8,950 was found in the house of the second suspect.
The case was being investigated under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 which provides for a jail term of not more than 20 years and fine five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000 whichever is higher. — Bernama
