Aksem corporal claims trial to three corruption charges

KANGAR: A corporal with the Malaysian Border Patrol Agency (Aksem) pleaded not guilty at the Kangar Sessions Court yesterday to three corruption charges amounting to RM7,000 last year.

The accused, Abdul Halim Darus, 59, made the plea before Judge Azman Abu Hassan after the three charges were read to him separately.

The corporal, who was attached to AKSEM Padang Besar, was alleged to have committed the offences in May and April last year.

Azman set May 22 and 23 as the dates for the trial and allowed the accused bail of RM4,500 with one surety.

On the first charge, Abdul Halim was alleged to have received a bribe of RM3,000 at 3 pm on April 7, 2016 at Lot F784/8788, Kampung Melayu, Jalan Belakang Balai Bomba, Padang Besar from a complainant for not taking action against him on suspicion of smuggling out ‘ ketum’ leaves to Thailand.

He was also accused of soliciting for a RM3,000 bribe at 12.24 pm on May 4, 2016 via a Short Messaging Service ( SMS) through the number 019- 5663764 belonging to him to the number 012- 5360999 used by the complainant who was at Lot F784/8788, Kampung Melayu, Jalan Belakang Balai Bomba, Padang Besar so that no action would be taken against the complainant who was suspected of smuggling out ketum leaves to Thailand.

On the third charge, the corporal was accused of asking for RM1,000 from the complainant at 9.50 pm on May 6, 2016 at the carpark at AKSEM Padang Besar so that no action would be taken against him who was suspected to have smuggled out ketum leaves to Thailand.

The accused was alleged to have committed the three offences under Section 16(a)( B) of the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694) and could be punished under Section 24 (1) of the same act.

Under the Section, the offender could be jailed not more than 20 years and fined not less than five times of the amount of the bribe.

The MACC was represented by its Prosecuting Officer, Syahrul Khuzaini Amiruddin while the accused was represented by counsel Aida Nabihah Mukhtar. — Bernama