Immigration officer pleads not guilty to 21 counts of bribery

JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 11  -- An Immigration officer today pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM56,500, between July 2018 and October last year.

The accused, Zulkifly Abd Za'par, 47, who is the enforcement agency’s senior deputy assistant director, made the plea after the charges were read out to him before Judge Kamarudin Kamsun in the proceedings conducted at a private hospital, here, this morning, as the accused is currently undergoing treatment for high blood pressure.

According to the charge sheet, on the first 20 counts, Zulkifly was charged with obtaining total bribes of RM55,000 through his two bank accounts, from two individuals to protect two companies from being prosecuted for hiring non-Malaysian employees without a valid permit.

He was alleged to have committed the act involving a restaurant in Kulai; at Taman Setia Tropika as well as at Taman Nusa Perintis 2, here, between July 1, 2018 and Oct 4, last year.

He was charged under Section 16 (a) B of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and is punishable under section 24 of the same act which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of five times the bribe or RM10,000 or whichever is higher, if convicted.

For another count, Zulkifly was charged with obtaining a bribe of RM1,500 from a man through a third party, a woman, as an inducement not to take action in connection with an investigation paper that Zulkifly was investigating at that time.

The act was allegedly committed at Taman Setia Tropika, here, on Dec 8, 2019.

He was charged under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 and is punishable under section 24 of the same act which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the total bribe or RM10,000 or whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat prosecuted while Zulkifly was not represented.

Judge Kamarudin set bail at RM30,000 and ordered the accused to report to the MACC headquarters every month, starting next month until the disposal of the case.

The court also set Feb 24 for remention.

On Dec 22, last year, Zulkifly was also charged to have corruptly accepted RM3,000 as gratification from a man, through a woman, as an inducement not to take action over an investigation he was conducting.

The offence was allegedly committed at Jalan Persiaran Perdana, Precinct 3 , Putrajaya, here, on Nov 21, 2019.

The proceeding before Judge Azura Alwi was also conducted at a hospital in Shah Alam, Selangor, following the accused undergoing treatment for high blood pressure and heart disease.

-- BERNAMA