KUANTAN: A Vietnamese, already in jail for Immigration offences, was today sentenced to 18 months behind bars and fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here after admitting to offering a RM200 bribe to a policeman.
Do Van So, 42, pleaded guilty after the charge against him was read out by a Vietnamese interpreter before judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain.
The father of two was accused of offering a RM200 bribe to Corporal Mohd Ghaddfi Zakaria, who is attached to the Temerloh Police Station here, as an inducement not to take action against him under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for overstaying in the country.
Do committed the offence at the Bukit Angin roundabout towards Seberang Temerloh at 9am on May 16, 2023.
The accused had offered the bribe after investigations found that he had been overstaying in Malaysia after his social visit pass expired on March 19, 2020.
In mitigation, Do, through the translator, told the court that he was separated from his wife and was responsible for their two children, who were currently under the care of his 82-year-old mother.
Do said he was deeply remorseful over his actions and pleaded for a minimum sentence so that he could return to his country.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Rifah Izzati Abdul Mutalif said there had been daily news reports on bribery cases which displayed the seriousness of the offence.
"The accused had overstayed and tried to bribe a policeman who was on duty. Foreigners who come into Malaysia must respect our law… the punishment must encourage integrity and educate the community," she said.
Rifah Izzati told the court that the accused was currently serving a four-month jail sentence after he was charged under the Immigration Act at another court and ordered to undergo the sentence from the date of arrest on May 16, 2023.
Ahmad Zamzani ordered the accused to be jailed from the date of his arrest and serve another 12 months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.