Cops claim trial to soliciting bribe from mother of drug suspects

SEREMBAN: Four policemen have claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to charges of soliciting and accepting a bribe from a mother whose sons had been arrested for allegedly possessing syabu.

Muhammad Ruzaini Firdaus Ismail, Muhammad Syahar Sansuddin@ Samsudin, both 34; as well as Mohamad Ikhwan Shafiq Mohammad and Muhammad Adib Hanizin, both 27; pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi here on Wednesday (Nov 8).

Muhammad Ruzaini and Muhammad Syahar hold the rank of koperal while the other two suspects are lans koperal. All four worked at the Gemencheh police station.

They were jointly charged with soliciting RM3,000 from a 36-year-old woman whose two sons had been detained for allegedly possessing syabu.

The offence was allegedly committed just after midnight on Aug 24 at the station.

For the second charge, the four allegedly received RM800 from the woman at around 3am the same day through a 53-year-old individual.

The offence was allegedly committed at the same place.

They were charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009 which is punishable under Section 24 of the same legislation and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

Those convicted can be jailed up to 20 years and fined not less than five times the amount of the bribe involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohamad Ali then asked the court to set bail at RM10,000 for each of the accused and order them to report to the Melaka MACC office once every month until the case is disposed of.

In response, defence counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork, representing all four accused, asked for a lower amount as his clients had families to provide for.

He said they earned between RM2,800 and RM3,200 a month and also had to provide for their parents and in-laws.

Judge Meor Sulaiman then set bail at RM3,500 with one surety each and ordered the accused to report once a month at the Melaka MACC office.

He fixed Dec 12 for remention.