PETRA JAYA: Six immigration officers were charged at Kuching's Special Court for Corruption here today with accepting bribes of between RM100 and RM1,000.
Agnes James Daim, Gracy Bohan, Norhaliza Hussein, Emily Ngayan Beliang, Benjamin Morsit and Khairul Nizam Omar claimed trial to committing the offence between Apr 22, 2016 and Jan 6 this year.
Gracy, 35, and Norhaliza, 33, were slapped with two counts of accepting bribes of between RM100 and RM500 through online money transfer without consideration, from one Fazal Illahi Juma Gul.
The four remaining accused were charged with one count of accepting bribes of between RM100 and RM1,000 through the same method from the same person.
All the immigration officers, aged between 33 and 42, were charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code for offence relating to a public servant obtaining any valuable thing from someone without consideration, for which they can be sentenced up to two years jail or fined, or both.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecution team, comprising Katherine Nais, Ikhwan Mohd Ibrahim and Mohd Asri Abu Mansor, proposed RM10,000 cash bail with two sureties for each of the accused.
The prosecution team also told the court that they may tender 10 to 15 prosecution witnesses during the hearing of the cases.
Agnes, Gracy, Norhaliza and Emily, through their respective counsels, appealed for leniency on the grounds that their clients are civil servants and that they will commit to attending all court proceedings.
Benjamin and Khairul Nizam, who were unrepresented, also pleaded the same.
Judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong fixed a court bail of between RM5,000 and RM8,000 with one surety for each of the accused.
He also granted a request from the prosecution team for the court to set the hearing date on the pre-trial case management day, which is Apr 28 for all of the accused.
It was reported that 11 immigration officers were arrested by MACC during its special operation to haul up corrupt officers linked to the influx of illegal immigrants in the state last month.