Former Temerloh OCPD Ordered to Enter Defence on 46 Graft Charges
KUANTAN: The Kuantan Sessions Court on Monday ordered former Temerloh District Police Chief (OCPD) Mohd Azhar Mohd Yusoff to enter his defence on 46 charges of accepting bribes totalling RM69,600 without consideration, between March 2019 and January 2023.
Judge Sazlina Safie made the decision after finding that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against Mohd Azhar, 56, at the close of the prosecution’s case.
Sazlina in her judgment said the court found that all 46 charges brought against the accused were proper and lawful, and did not violate Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code or Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.
According to her, the court was satisfied that the prosecution had successfully proven a prima facie case after conducting a maximum evaluation of the entire prosecution case, including the testimony of 20 prosecution witnesses.
“The court also ruled that the presumption under Section 53 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act is applicable to the accused,” she said.
The court then set the defence proceedings for 19 August, and Mohd Azhar chose to give his testimony under oath from the witness stand.
On 7 September 2023, Mohd Azhar pleaded not guilty to all charges of accepting bribes without consideration, which were allegedly received via online money transfer transactions into bank accounts linked to his official duties as a senior police officer at the Temerloh District Police Headquarters (IPD).
The offences were allegedly committed involving the receipt of money ranging from RM100 to RM5,600 from four individuals as an inducement to protect them from being subjected to Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) action for various offences.
The prosecution was conducted by MACC Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry and Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin, while the accused was represented by lawyers Datuk Bob S Arumugam and M Athimulan.
Sinar Harian