The accused (right) being led by a MACC officer out from the courthouse.
KUCHING: A 52-year-old restaurant operator was sentenced to nine days in jail and a RM10,000 fine by the Sessions Court here for bribing an Immigration Department officer during a raid two years ago.
Abdul Nasir Abdul Kassim from Sungai Buloh, Selangor admitted to have offered RM500 to Azmee Amin as an inducement for forbearing from taking action against foreign workers at a restaurant, who allegedly abused their temporary employment visit pass, during an inspection by the authority.
Judge Nixon Kennedy Kumbong ordered the jail term to take effect immediately, while the fine should be paid, in default of the additional two months in jail.
The offence was committed inside a vehicle which was parked at the back of the Kamal Curry House restaurant at Lot 1921, Block 233 KNLD, around 12am on Nov 12, 2015.
Abdul Nasir was convicted under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694), punishable under Section 24 of the same Act, and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
On March 6, Abdul Nasir was jointly charged with another person, Balaji Ramachandran, 38, who is an Indian national.
Balaji, however, maintained his plea of innocence and the court set March 29 for further mention of his case.
Yesterday during the mitigation, Abdul Nasir told the judge that his shop was not making profit and appealed for a lesser fine or sentence.
He also said his wife, who is a teacher, was in Selangor together with his three children.
Meanwhile, MACC prosecution officer Mohd Ikhwan Mohd urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence.