A FORMER director of the Perak Immigration Department and its former prosecution unit head were each sentenced to three years’ jail and a RM85,000 fine at the Ipoh Sessions Court today after being found guilty of soliciting and receiving bribes seven years ago.

Judge S. Indra Nehru imposed a three-year jail sentence and fine of RM50,000, in lieu 10 months’ jail, on Zulhairin Yahya, 50, and Zaidi Dali, 54, for soliciting a bribe of RM10,000 monthly.

The judge also sentenced them to three years in prison and a fine of RM35,000, in lieu eight months’ jail, for two offences of receiving a RM7,000 bribe.

The judge ordered all the sentences to run concurrently from today and allowed their applications for a stay of execution of the prison term pending an appeal to the High Court.

Zulhairin and Zaidi were charged with the common intention of asking for a bribe of RM10,000 every month from one Nga Chee Jiek as an inducement to ensure no inspections and raids would be carried out on an entertainment centre in Pusat Bandar Seri Manjung.

The offences were committed at the Meru Valley Golf and Country Club at about 9pm on November 5, 2015.

Zulhairin, as the Perak Immigration director, was also charged with receiving a bribe of RM7,000 from Nga through Zaidi as an inducement to ensure that no inspections and raids were carried out on the same entertainment centre.

The offence was committed at Knock Knock Restaurant in Meru Jaya at about 12.05am on November 12, 2015.

Zaidi, as Perak Immigration prosecution unit head, was found guilty of receiving a RM7,000 bribe for himself and the Perak Immigration director from Nga as an inducement to ensure that no inspections and raids were carried out on the same entertainment centre. The offence was committed at the Meru Valley Golf and Country Club’s car park at about 9.55pm on November 11, 2015.

Deputy public prosecutor Maziyah Mansor prosecuted. Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim appeared for Zulhairin and lawyers Zamri Idrus and Mohd Fadly Hashim represented Zaidi.

Earlier, the defence had pleaded for their clients to be given a light sentence on the grounds that they were first-time offenders and had cooperated throughout the trial. They also had families to support.

However, Maziyah asked the court to impose a heavy sentence, to serve as a deterrent to civil servants to prevent corruption from becoming a cancer in society. – Bernama, September 23, 2022.