Three cops lose appeal against jail term over bribes

KUALA LUMPUR: Three policemen need to serve their 10 months' jail term when the High Court rejected their appeal against the conviction and sentence by the Sessions Court after being found guilty of asking for and receiving bribes from a Myanmar national.

High Court Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah made the decision after hearing the appeal by ASP Mohamad Zafrul Zulkifli, 38, Lance Corporal Mohamad Hasirun Abu Hassan, 30, and Lance Corporal Mohd Saffuan Mat Salleh, 32, as appellants.

In his decision, Judge Azman said the sentence meted out by the Sessions Court judge on the three appellants was not too heavy and appropriate with the offence committed by them as policemen involved in corruption.

The bribes were an inducement for releasing a Myanmar national who was suspected of having a fake United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card, two years ago.

“Based on the High Court's examination of the record of appeal and submissions of the three appellants it was decided to uphold the conviction of the Sessions Court judge,” the judge said.

The Sessions Court before this had sentenced the trio to 10 months jail and RM10,000 fine each in default a year's jail.

The court, however, allowed the application by the three appellants to postpone the sentence until the appeal was filed at the Court of Appeal.

According to the allegations, Mohamad Zafrul and Mohamad Hasirun were each alleged to have solicited for bribes of RM2,000 and RM1,500 respectively from Kyaw Phone Naing, as an inducement to release one Nang Cherry suspected of having a fake UNHCR card .

Mohd Saffuan was also alleged to have received a bribe of RM1,500 from Kyaw as an inducement to release the same individual.