NINE Penang Road Transport Department (RTD) officers were today charged at the Butterworth Court with receiving protection money from lorry companies and drivers.

The accused, namely Khairol Naim Mat Desa, 34; Muhamad Syukri Ishak, 35; Mohd Fairdaus Ishak, 35; Katimi Azmi, 35; Muhammad Firdaus Jaafar, 46; Noorzaimi Effendi Salleh, 35; M Muniandy, 45; Noor Fadzny Noordin, 32; and, Pirdaus Abd Karim, 34, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to them before judge Nizam Zakaria.

They face a total of 164 charges for accepting payments of between RM10,000 and RM32,000 monthly since 2016 as an impetus to not take action against the lorry drivers involved. The nine also allegedly leaked information on RTD operations to the drivers.

The officers were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Selvaranjini Selvaraja prosecuted.

The Malaysian Insight is made to understand that a total of RM135,810 was set as bail for the nine.

Sources said the suspects, aged between 32 and 46, were detained by MACC in various locations statewide on April 16.

A source said the anti-graft agency does not rule out the possibility that more will be hauled up.

He said in April last year, MACC arrested 79 individuals, and of the total, eight, including three women, had acted as proxies, directors and owners of one of the companies concerned.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Azam Baki has confirmed the matter. – May 28, 2019.