KOTA KINABALU:A policewoman today pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court, here, to two counts of soliciting bribe as inducement not to continue the investigation on a man who was arrested for theft early this year.

The accused, Sergeant  Nora Alun, 42, from the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters (IPD), made the plea after the charge was read to her before judge, Abu Bakar Manat.

According to the charge, the accused had on Feb 13, 2020 at Taufik Restaurant, Inanam, agreed to accept RM3,000 from Mohd Saiful Jamil as inducement not to continue investigating him for the theft under Section 380 of the Penal Code.

On the second charge, she is accused of accepting RM3,000 in bribe from Mohd Saiful on Feb 17, 2020 at the Crime Investigation Division, Kota Kinabalu IPD, for the same purpose.

Both charges under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 or whichever is higher.

The court then allowed the accused, bail of RM10,000 with a deposit of RM8,000 and one surety. She is also to report to the Kota Kinabalu MACC office once every two months and to hand in her international passport to the court.

Prosecution officer Clementine Severinus appeared for the MACC while the accused was represented by lawyer, Zahir Shah. The case mention is on Jan 19, next year.

-- BERNAMA