KOTA BARU: Pengkalan Chepa Prison Chief Inspector Mohd Zambri Abdullah was today sentenced to three-year imprisonment and RM15,000 fine by the Sessions Court here for accepting RM3,000 bribe from an inmate two years ago.
Judge Ahmad Bazli Bahruddin meted out the sentence against Mohd Zambri, 39, after the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.
The court also sentenced Lance Corporal Dzul Azam Nani, 34, who was assigned to the same prison, to two years’ jail term and RM15,000 fine for the same offence.
The court ordered the sentence to run from today.
It however granted a stay of prosecution pending the proceedings for appeal at the High Court and set bail at RM4,000 for each of the accused.
Mohd Zambri was accused of accepting RM3,000 bribe from Mohd Fakhrul Akashah Mat as an inducement to not take action against Wan Muhammad Azlan Wan Mahmood, who was then a prisoner, for failing a urine test held at Pengkalan Chepa Prison’s Quarters at 10.15pm on Dec, 2016.
He was accused under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694) which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ jail and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification, or ten thousand ringgit, whichever is the higher.
Meanwhile Dzul Azam was accused of accepting RM3,000 bribe from Mohd Fakhrul Akashah Mat on behalf of Mohd Zambri at a fast food restaurant Pengkalan Chepa at 6pm on Dec 20, 2016.
He was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of MACC Act 2009 punishable under Section 24 of the same Act.
Prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Shahidah Muslimah Roslan while the accused were represented by counsel Ahmad Nizam Mohamed and Shahruddin Mohamed.
Earlier, the accused appealed for a lenient punishment and the court to take into consideration their good record while serving under the Prisons Department.
Shahidah Muslimah however requested for a deterrent penalty to serve as a lesson to the accused who had abused their position as prison officers.
