MMEA petty officer pleads not guity to 32 counts of accepting bribes

The accused, Petty Officer Mohd Norizan Yahaya, 46 at the Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone, Kedah made the plea after the charges were read to him before Sessions Judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain.

He was charged with receiving bribes of RM200 to RM1,000 as an inducement not to take action against a fisherman, Neo Siang Joo, through online money transfers at a bank in Jalan Mahkota here between May 13, 2018, and June 2, 2019.

The accused was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to two years or fine or both if found guilty.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Prosecuting Officer Mohd Fauzee Azizan who prosecuted the case offered RM20,000 bail, while the accused was not represented.

In pleading for a lower bail Mohd Norizan said he had to look after his wife who was not working and suffered from cervical cancer and a child who was still schooling.

Ahmad Zamzani then fixed an RM15,000 bail with one surety with the accused required to report monthly at the MACC and to hand over his passport to the court.

The court fixed Jan 6 for mention.