Pregnant cop gets 2 years' jail, RM20,000 fine for bribery

A heavily pregnant policewoman broke down and sobbed after being sentenced to two years in prison and fined RM20,000 in default eight months jail by the High Court here Friday for bribery.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Ab Karim Ab Rahman made the decision after allowing the appeal by deputy public prosecutor Nor Azah Kasran against 35-year-old Insp Suriati Mohd Shafie's acquittal by the Sessions Court on Jan 23, last year.

He said Sessions Court Judge Mohd Nasir Nordin had erred in his decision to acquit and discharge the woman from the bribery charge.

However, Ab Karim allowed Suriati's counsel G. Subramaniam Nair's application for a stay of execution of her jail sentence pending appeal and sent bail at RM10,000 with one surety.

In sentencing Suriati, Ab Karim said corruption was a serious offence which can erode the integrity of any organisation including the police force.

"You are a police inspector who is supposed to uphold the law and should have carried out your duty with integrity, but instead you have committed a serious offence," he said.

Suriati who has served 10 years with the Royal Malaysian Police was charged with accepting bribe of RM4,000 from Nurullizean Yahya as an inducement to help release her robbery-suspect husband, Tchouanseu Tchounga Armand, a Cameroon national.

She committed the offence at an office room on the 3rd Floor of the Crime Investigation Division, Brickfields district police headquarters (Petaling police station), between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Jan 22, 2013.

Meanwhile, Ab Karim also ordered Suriati who faced another charge of soliciting bribe of RM6,000 from Nurullizean for the same purpose at the same place, at 1pm on Jan 22, to enter her defence.

Another police officer ASP S. Ravintharan, 53, who was charged along with Suriati for accepting a bribe on the same day and place, between 8.30pm and 9.30pm was also ordered to enter his defence.

Ravintharan who was also previously acquitted and discharged was represented by counsel Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent.

The court set Oct 6 for both the accused to enter their defence. -- Bernama