SEREMBAN: Three Customs Department officers have claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to accepting bribes from a transport company owner as an inducement to allow his loaded trucks to pass through the KL International Airport cargo complex without having to undergo inspection.
Earizal Mohd Khalil, 43, Ngu Su Siew, 35, and Mohd Izuwan Mohd Ali, 32, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them separately before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.
Earizal is facing three charges of accepting a total of RM2,950 from the individual between May 28, 2017, and March 3, 2018.
Ngu has been charged with accepting RM3,000 on Dec 20, 2022, while Mohd Izuwan is facing two counts of accepting a total of RM1,200 on Aug 23, 2019, and March 3, 2020.
The money was allegedly transferred online into their respective bank accounts.
The three were charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, read together with Section 24(1) of the same legislation.
Offenders can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined five times the bribe amount or a minimum of RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir then requested that the court impose a bail of RM10,000 for each of the accused and order them to surrender their passports to the court pending the next mention of the case.
Muhammad Asraf, assisted by Maziah Mohaide, also requested that the suspects be made to report to the nearest MACC office until their cases are concluded.
Earizal’s lawyer, Helmi Hassan, asked for lower bail, citing his client’s responsibility to provide for his three children and mother.
He added that his client had cooperated with the MACC since he was detained.
Adhwa’ Afiqah Mohd Azmi, representing the other two accused, also requested a lower bail amount.
She mentioned that both Ngu, who is married with one child, and Mohd Izuwan, a father of three, were the sole breadwinners for their families.
Adhwa’ said that both had cooperated with the MACC and were not flight risks.
Judge Meor Sulaiman then set bail at RM6,000 for each of the accused. He also ordered those with passports to surrender them to the court and to report to the nearest MACC office on the first Saturday of every month until their cases are disposed of.
The court then fixed July 12 for next mention.
