BUKIT MERTAJAM: A former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer was fined RM10,000 by the Magistrate's Court here today after he was found guilty of extorting a police officer three years ago.
Rommy Ma'i'aruf, 41, clad in a blue shirt, was calm when Magistrate Sri Pracha Nanthini Balabedha handed down the sentence.
She sentenced the accused after finding that the defence had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
She also ordered the father-of-three to serve a 24-month jail sentence if he fails to pay the fine.
On Nov 30, 2017, Rommy had claimed trial to committing the offence against the police officer, who is responsible for reporting illegal gambling activities in the Seberang Prai Tengah district.
He was charged under Section 384 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum 10 years' imprisonment, or a fine, or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutors Muhammad Nazri Abdul Rahim and Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim prosecuted, while the accused was represented by counsel Piyara Singh.
Rommy, an assistant superintendent based at the Putrajaya MACC Intelligence Unit (Northern Zone), was arrested by police at a restaurant near Machang Bubuk here, on June 9, 2017.
He was detained after he was found to have committed extortion against Inspector Ahmad Hasbi Mohd Fauzi, 35, in the compound of the Seberang Jaya Petronas petrol station at about 9.30pm.
The accused had intentionally caused the police officer, attached to the Seberang Prai Tengah police headquarters, to surrender RM3,000 to him monthly, to protect the victim for lodging the report.
Rommy paid the fine.
It is learnt that he is no longer with the MACC.
