LABUAN: A police officer was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court here on Wednesday after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him in a bribery trial.
Sessions Court Judge Dr Nur Ashikin Mokhtar made the ruling after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case at the end of the prosecution’s case.
The accused, Sahbudin Burhanuddin had been charged under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 over an alleged RM500 bribe.
According to the charge sheet, Sahbudin, who was then a corporal attached to the Bebuloh Police Station, was alleged to have attempted to obtain RM500 in cash from Fuzily Ahmad at Simpang Telaga 9, Kampung Bukit Kalam, at about 9am on July 6, 2018.
The payment was allegedly intended as an inducement for Sahbudin, as a law enforcement officer, to refrain from taking action against Fuzily over an alleged breach of supervision conditions.
The charge was framed under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
The trial, which began on April 14, 2026, heard evidence from 12 prosecution witnesses before the prosecution closed its case.
In her ruling, Dr Nur Ashikin said the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused.
The acquittal and discharge mean Sahbudin is not required to enter his defence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joe Randy appeared for the MACC, while lawyers Mohamad Syazwan Shah and Nigel Neong Kaning represented the accused.
