KUALA LUMPUR: Eight Customs officers previously detained for investigation into liquor-smuggling to evade duties were today charged with 25 counts of receiving RM31,200 in kickbacks.
Senior Customs directors Som Chit Tiang, 48, and Jamaludin Zamzam, 54, as well as assistant enforcement officers Mahadir Mohamad and Kamarul Asmady Ismail, both 37, Mohamed Rozlan Ibrahim, 57, Sahbandi Abdul Manap@Asly, 36, claimed trial to 18 charges before Sessions Court judge Rosbiahanin Arifin.
Customs assistant enforcement officers Amran Ismail and Abdul Rahman Ahmad, both 35, pleaded not guilty to seven charges before Sessions Court judge Allaudeen Ismail.
The eight accused were charged under, among others, Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carried penalties of maximum 20-year jail term.
The section also specified fine of five times the amount of graft involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
They were all granted bail between RM5,000 and RM25,000 with one sureties and were ordered to surrender their passports.
Rosbiahanin and Allaudeen fixed mention on Nov 10 for all cases.
Prosecution were conducted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Saifuddin Hashim Musaimi, Husmarudin Husin and Lokman Kasim.
Counsel Ridha Abdah Subri, Ahmad Nazri, Mohd Fadly Hashim, and Nurul Aeir Muhammad Harvian Kamar represented all the accused except Sahbandi, who was unrepresented.