KUANTAN, Dec 15 — An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) was sentenced to 12 months in jail and fined RM25,000, in default six months imprisonment, by the Sessions Coury here today for accepting gratification of RM5,000 in connection with a drug case five years ago.
Sessions Court Judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain handed down the sentence on Hasbullah Ali Alias, 48, after finding the policeman guilty of the offence.
“After listening to all the testimony of the prosecution and defence witnesses, the court found that the accused failed to raise reasonable doubt, as well as provide an explanation to break the presumption on the balance of probabilities,” he said.
The court however allowed a stay of execution of the sentence pending Hasbullah Ali’s appeal.
Hasbullah, who was with the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, Pahang Police Contingent Headquarters, was charged with receiving the money from a man at a restaurant in Jalan Beserah here at 12.37pm on May 7, 2018.
The money was allegedly to be given to a Deputy Public Prosecutor in connection with a drug case.
The charge was framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which provides a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher, if convicted.
The prosecution was handled by MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir,
while the accused was represented by lawyer Datuk Syed Azimal Amir Syed Abu Bakar.
— Bernama
