.jpg "Penang Road Transport Department personnel arrive at the Sessions Court in Butterworth July 25, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin")
SEBERANG PERAI, July 25 — Six more enforcement officers from the Road Transport Department (RTD) and Land and Public Transport Commission (SPAD) today claimed trial to a total of 40 charges in bribes amounting to RM19,850.
This brings the number of RTD — better known by its Malay abbreviation JPJ — and SPAD officers charged for their alleged involvement in a lorry driver protection racket to 21.
Today, five low-ranking RTD officers and a lone SPAD enforcement officer were charged at the Special Corruption Court here with receiving between RM850 and RM7,000 each on different occasions at various banks in Bukit Mertajam between March 2015 and July 2018.
They allegedly received the money from Ooi Cheng Keat, the director of Sam Lian Transport and Tyre Sdn Bhd and TSR Transport Sdn Bhd as inducement not to take action against his fleet of lorries and lorry drivers.
The bribes were allegedly deposited into the bank accounts of the accused and that of a third party during that period.
RTD enforcement officer Muhammad Rozaidi Azmi, 36, faced 10 charges of receiving a total RM7,000 sometime between August 2017 and May 2018.
RTD enforcement officer Khairol Azri Abd Rahman, 31, faced eight charges of receiving RM4,350 sometime between January 2018 and July 2018.
RTD enforcement officer Mohd Ependi Hassan, 33, faced six charges of receiving RM850 sometime between March 2015 and June 2016.
The sole female RTD officer being charged today, Saidatul Hanim Sabudin, 33, faced nine charges of receiving RM2,250 sometime between June 2017 and November 2017.
RTD enforcement officer Mohamad Noor Ibrahim, 44, faced six charges of receiving RM4,200 sometime between July 2017 and December 2017.
Finally, former SPAD officer V. Chandrasegeran, 49, faced one charge of receiving RM1,200 on November 29, 2017.
After his charges were read out to him, Chandrasegeran, who was not represented, told the court that the date mentioned on the charge were not consistent with the date mentioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation officers.
Judge Nizam Zakaria told him that he will need to hire a lawyer to argue the facts of the case during trial but today he was only allowed to mitigate the bail sum.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azlan Basri asked for bail sum to be set between RM15,000 and RM20,000 for each accused.
“We must consider the seriousness of the offence,” he told the court.
Datuk Naran Singh, who represented all five RTD officers, said the bail sum proposed was too high as all RTD officers are civil servants.
All of the RTD officers are still on duty at RTD while Saidatul has been transferred to another department.
The judge then set RM10,000 bail in one surety for five accused and RM8,000 bail in one surety for Chandrasegeran.
He also ordered the passports of all the accused to be impounded and fixed September 12 for mention of the case.
All six were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 for soliciting a bribe.
They faced alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code for obtaining any valuable thing without consideration from the person concerned in any proceeding or business transacted by the public servant.
Section 165 Penal Code provides for a jail term of up to two years, a fine or both while Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009 provides a jail term of not more than 20 years and a fine of not less than five times of the amount of bribe received or RM10,000 whichever is higher.
Another six RTD and SPAD officers are expected to be charged for similar offences tomorrow.
