Two senior police officers claim trial in KL for receiving RM1 million bribe to aid settle case concerning Israeli guns acquisition
KUALA LUMPUR: In the Sessions Court here today, two senior police officials were accused of taking a bribe of RM1 million from a businessman to end an inquiry that was purportedly connected to an Israeli citizen’s purchase of firearms last month.
Judge Azura Alwi heard pleas of not guilty from ACP Chin Kiam Kong, 54, Senior Assistant Director of Forensic Accounting Investigations, Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) Bukit Aman, and DSP Suhairon Abdullah, 42, head of its Cryptocurrency Crime Investigation Unit.
As police officers, Chin and Suhairon were jointly charged on two counts of conspiring to accept and accepting a RM1 million cash bribe from Khoo Zixian, 28, in exchange for cooperating with the closure of a criminal investigation into him related to an offence under Section 120 of the Penal Code (Act 574).
The alleged offence was conducted on April 8 between midday and 1 pm in the Meeting Room of the Forensic Accounting/Cryptocurrency Investigation Division, Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Menara KPJ, in Jalan Tun Razak, and between 4:29 and 4:40 pm at the building’s parking lot.
The charge is framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694), read in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code (Act 574). If found guilty, the punishment consists of a maximum 20-year jail sentence and a fine equal to five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Chin entered a not guilty plea to two more counts in the same court, one of which involved consenting to receive a bribe and the other of receiving an RM250,000 payment to assist in ending a criminal investigation against Khoo for a violation of Section 420 of the Penal Code (Act 574).
He was accused of committing the crime on April 18 at 12.30 p.m. at the Senior Assistant Director of Forensic Accounting Investigations’ office at Menara KPJ here and on April 19 between 10.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the building’s parking lot.
Syed Faisal Syed Amir, the deputy public prosecutor, asked for RM 100,000 bail money for each of them along with an extra requirement that they turn in their passports to the court.
Attorney Jacky Loi on behalf of Chin asked for RM20,000 bail, citing his client’s 29 years of police service and four children, one of whom is currently enrolled in school overseas. Attorney Ridha Abdah Subri, on behalf of Suhairon, who has been a police officer for 20 years and is providing for a wife and four children, asked for RM15,000.
Judge Azura then ordered the two accused to turn in their passports to the court and set bail at RM40,000 apiece with one or two sureties.
She designated July 30 as the deadline for mentioning document submission. – BERNAMA