Retired cop claims trial to three charges over bribes

ALOR SETAR: A retired police officer pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM4,500 in 2014.

The accused Shahidan Ladin, 63, who was a former commander of the Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP), Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) Bukit Kayu Hitam made the plea before Judge Azman Abu Hassan after the charges were read to him.

Shahidan, who was still in service at that time, was charged with corruptly obtaining gratification for himself by receiving RM1,500 three times on three separate occasions from one Saleh@Md Zamri Md Saman as an inducement not to take action on the illegal activities of selling and smuggling petrol and diesel from the Malaysian border to Thailand by the latter.

For the first charge, Shahidan had allegedly received RM1,500 bribe from Saleh@Md Zamri at an illegal warehouse site at Kampung Remia Manis, Durian Burung in Kuala Nerang at 1.52 pm, on Sep 24, 2014.

For the second charge, Shahidan allegedly accepted RM1,500 at the same location at 11.52 am, on Oct 23, 2014 and for the third charge he allegedly accepted RM1,500 at the car park of Kuala Nerang Hospital at 1.05 pm, on Nov 28, 2014 from the same person.

Shahidan was charged under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same Act which carries a jail sentence not exceeding 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

However, Azman allowed the accused bail of RM4,500 for all the charges with one surety and set Sept 4 for mention.

The prosecution was handled by MACC deputy public prosecutor A. Hafiizh Abu Bakar while Shahidan was not represented.