IPOH: 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 Sessions Court here on Friday (Sept 23) 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 applications by the two for a stay of execution of the prison term pending 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 that 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 & Country Club clubhouse at about 9pm on Nov 5, 2015.
Zulhairin is also alleged, as the Perak Immigration director, to have received 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 here at about 12.05am on Nov 12, 2015.
Zaidi is also alleged, as Perak Immigration prosecution unit head, to have received 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 & Country Club’s car park at about 9.55pm on Nov 11, 2015.
Deputy public prosecutor Maziyah Mansor appeared for the prosecution while lawyer Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim represented Zulhairin and lawyers Zamri Idrus and Mohd Fadly Hashim represented Zaidi.
Earlier, the defence had appealed for their clients to be given a light sentence on the grounds that they were first-time offenders and had cooperated throughout the trial as well as had families to support.
However, Maziyah requested that the court impose a heavy sentence to serve as a deterrent to civil servants to prevent corruption from becoming a cancer in society. – Bernama