By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Feb 17: The Magistrate’s Court here remands a bus driver and a car attendant for seven days for offering RM1,100 gratification to Immigration Department officers to not take legal action against them for involvement in smuggling illegal immigrants.
Both the suspects, aged 54 and 45, were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), near a petrol station in Betong, at about 3.10am on February 16.
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali allowed the MACC to remand the two suspects for seven days until Feb 24 to facilitate the MACC investigation.
The suspects were caught fetching two Indonesian illegals in the bus luggage compartment, by a team of officers from the Immigration Department under Ops Serkap, near a petrol station in Betong, at about 2.05 am on February 16, 2021.
They are alleged to have offered RM1,100 to the Immigration Department officers as an inducement not to take action against them.
This is an offence under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
MACC is investigating the case under Section 17(b) of the MACC 2009 Act, which carries a fine of five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000 or whichever is higher, and imprisonment not more than 20 years upon conviction. — DayakDaily
