TWO Immigration Department officers were charged in the Special Corruption Court in Tawau today with accepting bribes to allow nine illegal immigrants who had used identity cards of others for the purpose of leaving Sabah for the peninsula two months ago.

Rosmaini Sapar, 40, and Elmin Salleh, 30, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read out before judge Jason Juga.

Rosmaini was charged with accepting RM4,500 as bribes from an individual as an inducement to allow the illegal immigrants to pass through immigration counter 1 at the Tawau airport between 8.30am and 9am, and board a flight from Tawau to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 23.

Rosmaini, who is attached to the Tawau UTC Immigration office, is alleged to have accepted the said amount at the Tawau branch of the Muamalat Bank at Kubota Square, Tawau on March 22.

The charges were filed under section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which can be punished under section 24 of the same act.

Elmin, who is based at the Tawau Airport’s Immigration office, was charged with abetting Rosmaini’s corrupt act by accepting the bribe at the same location and date.

The accused was charged under section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009 and read together with section 16(a)(B) of the same act and punishable under section 24 of the same act.

The section provides for a jail term of 20 years and a fine not more than five times the bribed amount or RM10,000 or whichever is higher, if convicted.

Jason granted bail for Rosmaini and Elmin at RM10,000 each and ordered both to surrender their passports to the court as well as report to the MACC office once every two months.

He also fixed July 27 for re-mention of the case.

The prosecution was led by Nurul Izzati Sapifee from MACC while both the accused were represented by lawyer Jhesseny P. Kang. – Bernama, May 10, 2023.