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GEORGE TOWN – A senior police officer and a senior citizen were today charged for allegedly releasing from custody 11 foreign nationals who were believed to have been involved in the Macau Scam fraud syndicate.
Mohamad Azrim Abu Bakar, 41, was charged for disobeying the law with the intent to save the individuals from punishment, while S. Muniandy, 62, was charged for conspiring to assist in the release of the suspects.
Both face penalties of up to two years imprisonment, a fine, or both if convicted.
According to Azrim’s charge sheet, he had allegedly disobeyed orders to hand over 11 foreign nationals to the Immigration Department on the afternoon of February 9 last year.
Azrim was represented by lawyers M.M Athimulan, T. Tamil Selvam, and K. Mahendran, while Muniandy was represented by Hari Prassaad Rao.
Magistrate Nur Melati Diana Abd Wahab set bail at RM5,000 with one surety for each of the accused, and set May 18 for case mention.
Last March, police officers and immigration staff were among eight people arrested by Penang police in connection with investigations into the release of Macau Scam suspects in the state.
Police had said a total of 11 suspects were supposed to have been handed over to an immigration officer for transfer to a detention depot.
The then-inspector general of police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador confirmed at the time that a police officer was involved in the case and described it as a betrayal to the country. – The Vibes, April 13, 2022