Kota Kinabalu: Two police lance corporals were jailed a total of seven years and fined a total of RM95,000 for charges of accepting bribes and abetment.
Sessions Court Judge Jason handed the sentences on for Roslee Abd Rashid, 48, and Hisyamuddin Sedan, 33, after ruling that the prosecution had proven its cases beyond reasonable doubt against the duo on Tuesday.
They were jointly charged on one count, while Roslee has three charges and Hisyamuddin has two charges.
On the joint charge, Roslee and Hisyamuddin were jailed one year and fined RM22,500 in default 10 months’ jail each for accepting RM4,500 from Norman as an inducement not to take action against him for transporting nine illegal immigrants on Feb 11, 2019, between 4pm and 8.30pm at Ladang Bongawan, Papar.
Meanwhile, On the first count, Roslee was jailed a year and fined RM10,000 or jailed five months for getting RM500 bribe also from Norman for the same inducement not to take action against him for transporting nine illegal immigrants on the same day and time.
On the second and third counts, he was also sentenced to a year’s jail plus RM10,000 fine or five months’ jail for each count for receiving a total of RM3,000 from Shim as an inducement not to take action against Norman for transporting the illegal immigrants on Feb 11, 2019, and Feb 27, 2019, respectively at the same place.
The charges, under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, provide an imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 or not less than five times the amount of bribes, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Hisyamuddin on the first and second count, he was sent to prison for a year plus RM10,000 fine or five months’ jail for each count for abetting Roslee in committing the crime by accepting a total of RM3,000 from Shim and Norman for the same purpose between Feb 11, 2019 and Feb 27, 2019, at the same place.
The court ordered Roslee and Hisyamuddin to serve the jail sentences concurrently.
However, their applications to stay execution of the sentence pending appeal against the decision to the High Court, had been granted and the duo were also released on the same bail.
The prosecution had called 10 witnesses while the defence called three witnesses during the hearing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Izzati Safiee from the MACC conducted the prosecution while counsel Watti Jinius defended the duo.