KUALA LUMPUR: Seven immigration officers from Johor Bahru have been charged in four states with accepting bribes in connection with the abuse of entry and exit stamps on foreign passports.
Five officers pleaded guilty to various charges, and three of them were sentenced to between 30 days and 12 months in prison and fined between RM12,000 and RM30,000 each. The other person will be sentenced on Dec 22.
The seven were arrested during Op Selat, launched by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Immigration Department to eradicate syndicates who have forged entry stamps at the country’s borders.
All the officers faced charges of accepting money from people who have official working ties with them. The charges, under the Penal Code, carry penalties of imprisonment not exceeding two years and a fine or both. All the offences were allegedly committed between April 2018 and Sept 22 this year.
The seven also faced optional charges of failing to report the bribery offences to the MACC, and could face jail terms of up to 10 years, fines of up to RM100,000 or both.
Those who pleaded guilty
Azhar Ahmad M Salbi, 27, was jailed for 12 months and fined RM20,000 or six months jail in lieu, for failing to report a bribe of RM1,250 given to him by two men through his savings account at CIMB Bank in Segamat.
Akashah Roslan, 38, was jailed for 30 days and fined RM12,000 or four months in jail, after pleading guilty to three charges of obtaining RM3,060 from a man. paid into his CIMB savings account in Bandar Bayan Baru, Butterworth.
Muhammad Shafiq Suboh, 29, was fined RM30,000 or 18 months’ jail after pleading guilty to three optional charges of failing to report to the MACC bribes amounting to RM1,480 given to him by a man and paid at CIMB Bank in Batu Berendam, Melaka.
Mohamad Hariss Rosli, 27, pleaded guilty to 18 charges involving bribes amounting to RM51,300. The court set Dec 22 for sentencing.
Mohd Hariss had been charged with 31 counts of obtaining money amounting to RM132,020 from several individuals through his Maybank Islamic account in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Fasmawi Ab Wahab, 24, pleaded guilty to two charges of accepting RM1,400 through his Maybank Islamic Berhad account in Tumpat, Kelantan. The court set Dec 22 for sentencing.
They pleaded not guilty
Syafik Abu Khalipah, 25, pleaded not guilty to seven charges of accepting RM24,395 from two same men in Larkin Perdana, Johor Bahru, and two optional charges of failing to report bribes of RM24,395 given to him by the same individuals.
Baliyan Mohd Bhanudin, 32, pleaded not guilty to four charges of obtaining RM7,120 from two individuals and four optional charges of failing to report to the MACC the same amount of bribes. given to him by the same individual, at a bank in Section 20, Shah Alam.
The court set Jan 18 next year for re-mention of the case.
Mohamad Hariss Rosli, 27, pleaded not guilty to 13 charges involving bribes amounting to RM81,000 from several people through his Maybank Islamic account in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
All the seven officers worked at the Immigration Department in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Johor Bahru.
Bangladeshi fined for offering bribe
A Bangladeshi man, Ahmmed Md Rana, 37, was fined RM10,000 or 12 months’ jail in lieu after he pleaded guilty to offering RM8,500 in bribes to an immigration officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The bribes were for allowing eight of his compatriots to return to their country without facing legal action.