Sharif and Mujahid outside the court, waiting for their cases to be mentioned.
KOTA KINABALU: A retailer was charged with attempting to bribe a police officer, while his supposed accomplice was charged separately for alleged abetting.
Sharif-ud-din, 39, was charged on two counts of attempting to bribe a police officer RM500 on two separate occasions. However, he denied committing the offences before Sessions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat.
In the first charge, Sharif had purportedly attempted to bribe a police officer with RM500 on March 23 this year, at one Shahid Enterprise. It was believed he had tried to bribe the officer who found untaxed cigarettes at the premises.
In the second charge, the accused was alleged to have committed the same offence involving a different officer, on April 22 at the same place. Both charges came under Section 17 (b) of the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission (MACC) Act, punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same Act.
On conviction, Sharif could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of no less than five times the amount bribed, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
As for his alleged accomplice Mujahid Ali Aman Ullah, the 41-year-old retailer also pleaded not guilty to two charges of supposedly abetting the purported bribe on the same days.
For his cases, the charges fall under Section 28 (1) (c) of the MACC Act, read together with Section 17 (b), punishable under Section 24 (1) of the Act.
Upon conviction, Mujahid could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of no less than five times the amount bribed, or RM10,000, whichever is more.
Both accused persons were released on bail of RM10,000 with RM7,000 to be deposited with one local surety, which in these cases were the accused’s wives.
The court also impounded the passports of both accused persons, with instruction to report to the MACC headquarters once a month, pending disposal of the case. The session adjourned to January 26, 2021 for re-mention.
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