Published: Saturday December 28, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday December 28, 2013 MYT 7:13:30 AM
Jail for Immigration officer who took bribe
KUALA LUMPUR: An Immigration Department officer was sentenced to three years in jail for taking a bribe as an inducement to settle a case involving the harbouring of a foreigner staying illegally in the country.
Sessions Judge Rosbiahanin Ariffin jailed the department’s (investigation) assistant officer Abdul Rahim Yusoff and also fined him RM10,000 after finding him guilty of taking a bribe.
Abdul Rahim, 42, was convicted of receiving a bribe amounting to RM2,000 from insurance agent Chuah Choon Mui as an inducement to settle a case in which Chuah was suspected of harbouring a China national.
The offence, categorised under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, was committed at the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya at 5pm on Feb 22, 2010.
Judge Rosbiahanin ruled that the accused had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.
A total of 12 witnesses were called by the prosecution, which was led by DPP Mohd Firdaus Abu Hanipah, to testify in the trial, while Abdul Rahim testified in his own defence.
He attended the proceedings with his wife and appeared calm when his sentence was read.
Abdul Rahim’s lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein applied for a stay of the sentence pending an appeal.
However, judge Rosbiahanin denied the application and ordered that Abdul Rahim serve his sentence with immediate effect.
