14-05-2025
Police inspector charged with accepting RM23,000 bribe to free drug suspects
KUALA TERENGGANU: A police inspector pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to charges of receiving RM23,000 in bribes to release three men linked to a drug case four years ago.
The accused, Khairul Faiz Mohamad Zaini, 37, entered the plea after two charges were read before Judge Mohd Azhar Othman.
According to the charges, he is accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM15,000 and RM8,000 from an individual via transfers into a third party's account before the money was moved into his wife's account.
The payment was allegedly in exchange for releasing three individuals who had been detained, and for removing syabu (methamphetamine) from the police arrest report related to a raid and arrest operation.
The offence was said to have been committed at the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Office, Terengganu police contingent headquarters, on Feb 26, 2021.
For the offence, the accused was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which provides for a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Following the recorded plea of not guilty, the court set June 18 for mention of the case and appointment of counsel.
The court also allowed the accused to be released on bail of RM7,000 for both charges.
Additional conditions imposed include a prohibition on contacting prosecution witnesses, surrendering his international passport to the court, and reporting monthly to the MACC office.
The prosecution was led by MACC deputy public prosecutor Rabiatul Addawiah Mohd Noorlee, while the accused was unrepresented.
