Skippers held for offering bribe

Two Vietnamese busted for inducing MMEA staff to release their boats

JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained two Vietnamese boat skippers for allegedly trying to bribe a member of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

The suspects, aged 27 and 28, purportedly offered RM11,300 to chief petty officers stationed on Pulau Harimau, off Mersing here.

The money was allegedly an inducement to release two Vietnamese boats that had been seized for failing to have licences, carrying unlicensed equipment and ferrying two people who had no valid passports.

It is learnt that the suspects had initially offered RM1,300 to the two MMEA personnel to release the boats.

They increased the offer by RM10,000 when they did not get a response to the initial amount.

Both of them were detained at the MACC Kluang branch at around 11am on Sunday.

They were brought to the Kluang court yesterday and court registrar Nor Aziela Sidek granted a seven-day remand order against them.

The case is being investigated under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 which carries a fine of five times the bribeamount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, and a jail term of up to 20 years on conviction.

Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias confirmed the arrests.

MACC and MMEA have introduced a collaborative network to curb bribery and abuse of power, especially in cases of foreign fishing boats encroaching into Malaysian waters.