Traffic cop claims trial

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KUCHING: A traffic police officer charged with receiving an RM1,500 bribe last year claimed trial in a Sessions Court here yesterday.

Sgt Zainudin Samad, who is attached to the Kota Samarahan district police headquarters traffic department, appeared before Judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong, who fixed pre-trial case management for Nov 12, while the hearing will be from Nov 17-21.

Zainudin was released on court bail of RM10,000 with one surety who is gainfully employed with a minimum nett income of RM2,000 per month, and has a permanent address in Kuching.

The surety was also ordered to furnish original payslips from three months to the court.

Zainudin is accused of receiving the bribe from a man at an eatery in Kota Samarahan, when the latter was arrested at 5.50pm on July 8 last year.

The money is said to have been an inducement for him not to take action against the man, who allegedly committed a traffic offence.

Zainudin will be tried under Section 11(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a minimum fine of five times the sum of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Defence Counsel Abdul Rahman Mohd Hazmi represented Zainudin.

In a separate case, a contractor charged with offering a RM2,000 bribe to a policeman appeared in the same courtroom and also claimed trial.

Ling Sing Ching, 50, was released on RM10,000 cash bail with two sureties, deposited with the court.

He allegedly committed the offence when he was nabbed at a restaurant near here last Sept 4 around 4.45pm.

Ling is accused of attempting to bribe ASP Mohd Mazlan Mohd Ariff as an inducement not to take action against him for allegedly cutting, sawing, converting or removing timber from Rambungan, Lundu without a valid licence issued by the Sarawak Forest Department under Section 50 of the Forest Ordinance Chapter 126 (1958).

The offence is framed under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, and punishable under Section 24 of the same act.

Defence Counsel Francis Wee represented Ling.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer Ikhwan Mohd Ibrahim prosecuted both cases.