Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud meted out the sentence on Azrol Khalil, 37, and ordered the accused to be jailed a year if he fails to pay the fine.

The judge said the accused was found to be untrustworthy after obtaining money through corruption and he should not be wearing a police uniform.

“As a policeman, the accused threatened the victim to pay a certain amount of bribes. All this because the accused had a position as a policeman, which means he did not carry out the duties entrusted to him,” he said.

Azrol was convicted of corruptly accepting RM16,000 in cash from a 50-year-old man as an inducement for him to close a case against the man, who was being investigated for a commercial crime.

The offence was committed at a restaurant in Taman Prima, Sri Gombak, Batu Caves, on Feb 7, 2022.

He was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for up to 20 years in prison and a minimum RM10,000 fine.

However, the court granted a stay of the sentence after being asked by lawyer PG Cyril, representing the accused. The bail amount was, however, increased to RM10,000 from RM8,000 previously.

Cyril had asked the court to impose a minimum sentence on his client as it was his first offence and he had been suspended from duty with half salary from his original salary of RM2,700 per month.

He added that Azrol had to support his wife and children.

MACC prosecutor Aliff Shaharuzaman asked the court to impose an “appropriate sentence” as a warning to others.

“The accused had also used the names of his superior officers (when soliciting the bribe) and this had tarnished the name of the force,” he said.