The woman, Insp Suriati Mohd Shafie, had been acquitted last year by the Sessions Court, but the acquittal was overturned yesterday on appeal.

Suriati who has served 10 years with the Royal Malaysian Police was found guilty of having accepted a bribe of RM4,000 from Nurullizean Yahya as an inducement to help release her robbery-suspect husband, Tchouanseu Tchounga Armand, a Cameroon national.

She was sentended to two years in prison and fined RM20,000, or eight months jail in default, but was allowed a stay of execution of her jail sentence pending an appeal; however, she and Asst Supt S. Ravintharan, 53, were ordered to make their defence on two other charges.

Judicial Commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman, who allowed the appeal, conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nor Azah Kasran, said Sessions Court Judge Mohd Nasir Nordin had erred in his decision to acquit and discharge the woman from the bribery charge.

In sentencing Suriati, Ab Karim said corruption was a serious offence which can erode the integrity of any organisation including the police force.

“You are a police inspector who is supposed to uphold the law and should have carried out your duty with integrity, but instead you have committed a serious offence,” he said.

Suriati was found guilty of committing the offence at an office room on the 3rd Floor of Petaling police station, at the Crime Investigation Division of Brickfields district police headquarters between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Jan 22, 2013.

Suriati also faced another charge of soliciting a bribe of RM6,000 from Nurullizean for the same purpose at the same place, at 1pm on Jan 22. She was ordered to enter her defence.

Another police officer ASP S. Ravintharan, 53, who was charged along with Suriati for accepting a bribe on the same day and place was also ordered to enter his defence.

Ravintharan had also previously been acquitted and discharged. He was represented by counsel Geethan Ram Vincent.

The court set Oct 6 for both the accused to enter their defence.