Eight customs officers charged for accepting monthly bribe

Eight customs officers have been charged by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for accepting monthly bribes from RM500 to RM130,000.

MACC operations division director Datuk Jamidan Abdullah at a press conference said the officers face between eight and 52 offences for illiciting contraband items in the release of contraband items worth millions of Ringgit in unpaid duties.

“Seven of them were charged at the Petaling Jaya Special Session Court and the other one was charged in Kuala Lumpur Special Session Court for Corruption,” he said to reporters.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Datuk Saad Ishak, 57, a senior assistant director (Intelligence) in Putrajaya, is facing nine charges involving RM29,000.

He allegedly committed the offences at two locations, near Restoran Arafah, in Jalan Kampung Baru Subang and at the Restoran South Sea Seafood parking lot at Jalan Dua A, Kampung Baru Subang between Oct 2012 and July 2014.

Abdul Ghafar Mohamad, 46, a senior assistant director II (Enforcement) in Kuala Lumpur is facing 19 charges involving RM38,000.

He allegedly committed the offences at two locations, at the Old Town White Coffee restaurant in Jalan SS 6/12, Kelana Jaya, and a petrol station in Jalan USJ 2/2C, between February 2012 and August 2014.

Mohd Ariffin Zakaria, 57, a senior assistant director I (Special Investigation) in Dengkil, and Sohaizan Othman, 41, a state senior assistant director (Enforcement) are facing one charge each involving RM2,000 and RM1,000.

The offences were allegedly committed at the PJ Hilton Hotel lobby in early 2012, and the Old Town White Coffee restaurant in Kelana Jaya in April 2011, respectively.

Abd Razak Basri, 55, an assistant director (Enforcement) in Kuala Lumpur, is facing 11 charges involving RM22,000.

He allegedly committed the offences at a petrol station in Jalan USJ 2/2C, and the Awan Besar R & R complex along KM47.1, Shah Alam highway between October 2013 and August 2014.

Hizam Abd Ghani, 56, a senior officer (Enforcement) in Kuala Lumpur is facing 52 charges involving RM236,000.

He allegedly committed the offences at a petrol station in Jalan USJ 2/2C near here between April 2011 and August 2014.

Hizam also allegedly accepted RM40,000 for Abdul Ghafar and RM22,000 for Abd Razak as an inducement not to take action against a company under Section 135 of the Customs Act 1967 involving unpaid duties.

Azlee Mohamed Yusof, 48, a senior officer (Enforcement) in Kuala Lumpur is facing five charges involving RM77,000.

He allegedly committed the offences at the Old Town White Coffee restaurant in Kelana Jaya and Giant hypermarket parking lot in the same area between July 2012 and August 2014.

Judge Noradidah Ahmad set Oct 30 for re mention and set RM40,000 as bail for Hizam, RM18,000, for Abdul Ghafar; RM10,000 each for Abd Razak and Azlee; RM15,000 for Saad; and RM5,000 each for Mohd Ariffin and Sohaizan.

The judge also ordered the passports of the accused to be impounded by the court pending disposal of their respective cases.