Man charged with attempting to bribe cop

SHAH ALAM: A grilled chicken seller was charged in the Sessions Court here today with attempting to bribe a police officer, last month.

However, Mohd Nizam Mohamed Lazim, 36, who is also a part-time air-conditioner technician pleaded not guilty after the charge against him was read before judge Rihaida Rafie.

He was accused of abetting his friend Abd Aziz Abdullah @ Shariff, 38, to give a RM120,000 bribe to ASP Mohammad Izzuddin Zulkifly, 38, who is attached to the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department of the Pahang contingent police headquarters.

The money was an inducement not to take legal action against Abd Aziz who had committed an offence under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

The charge was made under Section Seksyen 17(b) of the the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, read together with 28(1)(c) of the same law.

The offence is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same act, which carries an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Rihaida allowed bail at RM15,000 in one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court and report himself at the nearest police station once a month.

The court fixed July 12 for mention of the case.

The prosecution was conducted by MACC prosecuting officer Fadhli Ab Wahab and deputy public prosecutor Tuan Attina Tuan Kamaluddin, while the accused was represented by lawyers Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim and Nabil Ashraff Ridzuan.

-- BERNAMA