Senior military officers claim trial to RM126,500 bribery charges

Senior military officers claim trial to RM126,500 bribery charges

The court allows one officer to have his name withheld on grounds that he is involved in intelligence work.

kl high court
A 53-year-old military officer was charged with accepting a bribe in exchange for not reporting drug and cigarette smuggling activities to higher authorities.
KUALA LUMPUR:
Two senior military officers have claimed trial in separate sessions courts to receiving RM126,500 in bribes.

In the Kuala Lumpur sessions court, a 53-year-old officer, whose name was withheld by the court, was charged with accepting a RM34,500 bribe from a man in exchange for not reporting drug and cigarette smuggling activities to the higher authorities.

The officer is alleged to have committed the offence at a luxury apartment on Jalan Dua, off Jalan Chan Sow Lin, here in July.

If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of five times the alleged bribe sum.

Judge Azura Alwi set bail at RM12,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office once a month.

“The court will not compound the accused’s passport, but he will need to inform the court if he is going overseas for work,” said Azura.

The court also granted a request by the accused’s lawyer, Geethan Ram Vincent, for a gag order prohibiting the publication of his client’s name on grounds that the officer was involved in intelligence work.

The court fixed Dec 2 for case management.

Deputy public prosecutor Noralis Mat appeared for the prosecution.

In the Shah Alam sessions court, navy captain Mahazam Ali, 47, was charged with eight counts of accepting RM92,000 in bribes between October 2023 and April 2025 at a bank in Shah Alam.

Mahazam, the director of the communications unit under the navy’s cyber electromagnetic defence division, is accused of receiving the bribes from one Chong Gui Lin.

The charges were framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Atirah Azuarizanuddin prosecuted while the accused was represented by lawyer Lee Keng Fat.

Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud allowed bail at RM10,000 and fixed Dec 17 for case mention.

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