Pakistani traders charged with giving bribes to cops

Kota Kinabalu: Two Pakistani traders were charged with giving bribe to two policemen and abetting in offering the bribes.

Sharif Ud Din, 39, and Mujahid Ali Aman Ullah, 41, pleaded not guilty separately before Sessions Court Judge Abu Bakar Manat, after the charges were read to them on Tuesday.

Each of them have two charges against them.

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On the first count, Sharif is accused of giving RM500 bribe to Constable Lister Liew as inducement not to take any legal action against him (Sharif) who had been suspected of having contraband cigarettes.

The crime allegedly took place at 12.30pm on March 23 this year at the Shahid Enterprise, here.

On the second count, he allegedly gave another RM500 as bribe to Assistant Superintendent Police Fauzi Abdul Kadir for the same purpose at the same place at 10.30am on Apr 22 this year.

The offence under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of bribe received or RM10,000, whichever is higher, on conviction.

Meanwhile, Mujahid on the first and second count, is accused of abetting with Sharif to give the bribes to the policemen at the same place and time for the same purpose.

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The court fixed Jan 26 next year for case management and released the duo on bail of RM10,000 with RM7,000 as deposit.

The duo’s sureties must be their respective wives.

The Pakistanis were also ordered to surrender their passport to the court, to report to the MACC’s office once a month as well as not tampering with any of the prosecution’s witnesses.

Earlier, counsel Erveana Ansari who represented the Pakistanis, requested for bail to be granted by taking into consideration that they had diligently appeared at the MACC’s office since June this year. 

She also informed the court that the duo had been married to locals adding that, Mujahid who is a MYPR holder have three children here while Sharif has twin children.

Erveana added that if her clients were sent to the Kepayan prison, they might be exposed to Covid-19.  To this, she urged the court to allow bail on them.

Prosecuting Officers, Clementine Severinus and Rekhraj Singh of the MACC appeared for prosecution.