ALOR SETAR: A police inspector was charged in the Sessions Court here Tuesday (May 28) with four counts of soliciting and accepting bribes as an inducement not to report the arrest of an individual suspected of possessing drugs three years ago.
Mohammad Kassim Mamas, 36, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to all charges before Judge M. Priscilla Hemamalini.
On the first count, he was charged with corruptly soliciting a bribe of RM20,000 from one Mohd Firdaus Ahmad Yudin, 33, in a car at about 10.15pm on June 21, 2021, in Kampung Kenangan, Serdang, Bandar Baharu.
The second count was for allegedly agreeing to accept RM15,000 from Mohd Firdaus in a car in Sungai Tengas, Serdang, Bandar Baharu, at about 10.30pm on the same day.
On the third count, Mohammad Kassim was alleged to have corruptly obtained RM2,000 from one Mohd Syahrul Hafiz Ahmad Yudin, 30, in a car in Kampung Sungai Tengas, Serdang, Bandar Baharu at about 11am, also on the same day.
He was also charged with corruptly agreeing to accept RM7,000 from Mohd Firdaus during a phone call at about 5.40pm on June 22, 2021, in Sungai Petani.
Mohammad Kassim, who is with the Criminal Investigation Division, Bandar Baharu district police station, was alleged to have solicited the bribes allegedly as an inducement not to report the arrest of Mohd Firdaus for a drug-related offence.
All the charges were framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher upon conviction.
The court allowed him bail of RM10,000 for all charges and set July 23 for mention.
Deputy Public Prosecutor from MACC Mohd Zulfadli Azharudin prosecuted, while lawyers Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid and Muhammad Adam Burhanuddeen represented the accused. - Bernama
