KOTA KINABALU: A Special Corruption Court has acquitted and discharged a policewoman of two charges of accepting bribes here.
Sessions Court judge Jason Juga ruled that Nora Alun, who holds the rank of sarjan, was to be discharged and acquitted of all charges without entering her defence.
This was after the judge held that there was no prima facie case established by the prosecution against the 44-year-old for both charges.
Nora, on the first count, was accused of agreeing to take a RM3,000 bribe from a suspect for her not to continue an investigation for theft under Section 380 of the Penal Code.
She had allegedly agreed to accept the sum at Taufik restaurant in Inanam New Township near here at 12.27pm on Feb 13, 2020.
On the second charge, the accused is said to have accepted RM3,000 from the same individual between 3.50pm and 4.30pm on Feb 17, 2020.
The charges were framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
The provision bears a maximum 20-year jail sentence and a fine not less than five times the amount of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, on conviction.
The accused claimed trial over the charges on Dec 15, 2020, and was granted bail pending the case's disposal.
The prosecution closed its case last May 24 after calling 16 witnesses to testify in the trial that commenced on Aug 16, 2022.
It is understood that following the charges, the accused was suspended from her duties as an assistant investigation officer and was given only half-pay.
Prosecuting officer Norsham Saharom appeared for the MACC while the accused was represented by counsel Zahir Shah.
