KUALA LUMPUR: A police assistant commissioner and a deputy superintendent claimed trial at the Sessions Court to charges of accepting RM1.25 million cash in bribes from a businessman to close a probe allegedly linked to the use of cryptocurrency to purchase firearms by an Israeli man.
Bukit Aman forensic accounting investigation assistant head Assistant Commissioner Chin Khiam Kong,54, and the unit head of cryptocurrency investigations Deputy Superintendent Suhairon Abdullah,42, pleaded not guilty before judge Azura Alwi.
On the first and second charge, Chin and Suhairon were accused as officers of the police force of having the common intention to agree to accept and dishonestly accepted RM1 million from Khoo Zixian,28, as gratification to assist to close investigations.
They had committed the offences at about 12pm to 1pm and 4.29pm to 4.40pm on Apr 8 at the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department's forensic accounting investigation/cryptocurrency division meeting room and the carpark of Menara KPJ, Jalan Tun Razak.
The offences framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code is punishable under Section 24(1) of the MACC Act.
It provides a maximum 20-year jail term and a fine not more than five times the bribe sum or RM10,000; whichever is higher.
Separately, in the same court, Chin claimed trial to two more charges of dishonestly agreeing to accept RM250,000, in his capacity as a police assistant commissioner, from Khoo to close investigations on a cheating case.
He had committed the offences at about 12.30pm on April 18; and about 10.30am to 1pm on April 19 at the division's meeting room and at a carpark behind Menara KPJ.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) which provides maximum 20 year jail term and fine not more than five times the bribe sum or RM10,000; whichever higher.
Deputy public prosecutor Syed Faisal Syed Amir urged the court to set bail at RM100,000 with one surety for each accused and to surrender their passports to the court.
"Our grounds for the bail sum is because the offences are serious, involving more than RM1 million and the jail term is not more than 20 years.
"If convicted, the accused can be fined not more than five times the bribe amount and in this case, the minimum is RM5 million.
"I believe our suggestion for RM100,000 for each accused with one surety and to surrender their passport to the court is reasonable," he said.
In mitigation, Chin's counsel, Jacky Loi, pleaded for bail to be fixed at RM20,000 with one surety.
He asked for no additional conditions as his client needed his passport to attend his youngest child's meet-the-parents event abroad in June.
"He is an assistant commissioner and has been in the police force for 29 years.
"Based on his service record, there is no evidence he will abscond and the bail sum should be appropriate to him as a civil servant.
""He is innocent until proven guilty. It is irrelevant for the prosecution to say the offence is serious as he has not been tried and the court has not found him guilty," he said.
Suhairon's counsel, Ridha Abdah Subri, asked for RM15,000 bail with two sureties which he said was sufficient to secure his client's attendance in court.
He said his client's family was not well to do and he was supporting his four school-going children and aged parents on a RM5,000 monthly salary.
"My client has been in service for 20 years and there is no reason for him abscond from his duties as his family is in Malaysia.
"He gave his cooperation to the police while under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 remand for 25 days.
"There is also no possibility of him tampering with prosecution's evidence. His family was able to collect RM15,000 for his bail and his wife and sister will be his bailors," he pleaded.
Judge Azura set bail at RM40,000 with one or two sureties for each accused.
She ordered them to surrender their passports to the court until case disposal.
She allowed all the cases to go on trial together and fixed July 30 for mention.
On May 10, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said seven policemen with ranks of assistant commissioner, deputy superintendent, inspector, sergeant and lance corporal, were arrested under the Sosma in connection to a RM1.25 million extortion case.
He said investigations revealed that the suspects, aged 32 to 50, had acted in concert to commit crimes for their own gain.
The investigation was conducted by the Bukit Aman Classified Crimes Investigation Unit of the Law/Prosecution Division of the Criminal Investigation Department under Section 384 of the Penal Code.