JPJ asst supt pleads not guilty to accepting bribes totalling RM27,600

JOHOR BAHRU: An assistant superintendent of the Road Transport Department pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to four charges of accepting bribes totalling RM27,600.

Ahmad Jamil Md Saru, 40, who is attached to the Muar JPJ branch. entered the plea before judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail.

The father of two was charged with receiving the money from Syarikat Sivan Sakhti Maju Enterprise manager P. P. Vijayan via online transfers from the company's Maybank account as an inducement not to take enforcement action on lorries belonging to it under the Road Transport Act 1987.

The offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank Berhad Muar branch in Jalan Sulaiman, Muar between Jan 26, 2016 and March 24, 2019.

Ahmad Jamil was charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which is punishable under Section 24 of the same act, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted.

Ahmad Kamal Arifin allowed Ahmad Jamil bail at RM6,000 with one surety and ordered him to report to the Melaka MACC office once every month and also surrender his passport to the court.

The court set Sept 20 re-mention, submission of documents and appointment of defence counsel.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Irwan Shah Abdul Samat appeared for the prosecution.

On July 5, the media had reported that Ahmad Jamil was charged in the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court in Melaka on 12 charges of accepting a monthly bribe of RM8,500 from Sivan Sakhti Maju for the purpose of protecting the company from legal action between April 2020 and March 2021.

-- BERNAMA