A BANGLADESHI man was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM12,000 by the Alor Setar Sessions Court today for bribing a policeman last week.

Judge Murtazadi Amran passed the sentence on Mohammad Mosarof, 30, after he pleaded guilty to offering a bribe of RM500 to Corporal Muhammad Syazwan Ahmad Safiudin.

It was as inducement for the policeman not to take action against him for having committed an offence under Regulation 5 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Local Infected Areas) 2021, as well as having no valid travel documents at the Lunas toll plaza, KM18.8 of the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway on January 20 at around 3.30pm.

The charge, under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, carries a maximum 20 years’ jail, a fine of RM10,000 or not less than five times the amount of the bribe, whichever is higher.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fauzee Azizan appeared for the prosecution while Mohammad was not represented. 

It is understood that during the incident, Mohammad and another individual were on their way from Penang to Lunas, Kulim in a taxi.

When stopped at a roadblock, police officers had asked for the inter-state travel permit, a standard operating procedure during the movement-control order period, but Mohammad failed to submit it and instead offered a bribe in order to avoid being detained. – Bernama, January 26, 2021.