SEBERANG PERAI, July 26 — Another six officers from the Penang Road Transport Department (RTD) were charged at the Special Corruption Court here for their alleged involvement in a lorry protection racket.
This brings the number of RTD and Land and Public Transport Commission (SPAD) officers charged over the syndicate to 27 since May.
The six today, who are still on active duty, were charged with 14 separate counts of accepting bribes totalling RM10,900 from transport operators as inducement not to take action against them for offences under the Road Transport Act 1987 and Land Public Transport Act 2010.
The six charged were Aminorrofee Rais, 44; Muhammad Faisal Salleh, 33; Abu Ubaidah Yacob, 51; Azrul Faiz Md Saad, 36; Mohd Sarwani Mohd Nor, 34; and Mohd Yusri Jusoh, 48.
Aminorrofee was charged with five counts involving RM4,150, Muhammad Faisal has two charges involving RM1,800, and Abu Ubaidah faces two charges over RM2,000.
Azrul Faiz claimed trial to one charge involving RM400, Mohd Sarwani was hit with three charges involving RM1,150, while Mohd Yusri was accused in one charge involving RM1,000.
They allegedly committed their individual offences by accepting the funds through various banks in Seberang Perai Tengah sometime between 2016 and 2018.
All charges were proffered under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009 for soliciting bribes, which attracts a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
They faced alternative charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code for obtaining personal gratification as a civil servant, which is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Judge Nizam Zakaria allowed bail at RM10,000 for Aminorrofee and RM8,000 each for the other five.
She then fixed September 12 for case mention, the same date for the other 12 related cases involving other RTD and former SPAD officers.
