Ipoh: The High Court here today acquitted and discharged two former Perak Immigration officers on charges of soliciting and receiving bribes. They are former Perak Immigration Director Zulhairin Yahya, 53, and former Head of the Perak Immigration Prosecution Unit Zaidi Dali, 57, who were alleged to have solicited and accepted bribes seven years ago.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, lawyer M. Athimulan, when contacted, said Judge Moses Susayen acquitted Zulhairin and Zaidi after allowing their appeal. "In short, the judge found their conviction unsafe. Therefore, the court allowed the appeal of both accused and ordered them acquitted and discharged," said Athimulan, who represented Zaidi.
On September 23, 2022, Zulhairin and Zaidi were sentenced by the Sessions Court to three years in prison and fined RM85,000 each after being found guilty of soliciting and receiving bribes. Judge S. Indra Nehru had sentenced the two men to three years in prison and a fine of RM50,000, with an additional 10 months in prison if they failed to pay the fine, for the offence of soliciting a bribe of RM10,000 every month to prevent inspections at an entertainment centre in Manjung.
They were also sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of RM35,000, or eight months in jail in default, each for two offences of receiving a bribe of RM7,000. Zulhairin and Zaidi were allowed a stay of the execution of their prison sentences pending their appeals at the High Court.
The two men were jointly charged with soliciting a bribe of RM10,000 per month from Nga Chee Jiek as an inducement to ensure that no inspection and raid were carried out on an entertainment centre in Pusat Bandar Seri Manjung. The offence was allegedly committed at the Club House Meru Valley Golf and Country Club at 9 pm on November 5, 2015.
Zulhairin was also charged as the Director of the Perak Immigration Department with obtaining a bribe of RM7,000 from Nga through Zaidi, as an inducement to ensure no inspection and raid were carried out on the same entertainment centre at the Knock Knock Meru Jaya Restaurant, at 12.05 am on November 12, 2015.
Zaidi was also charged in his capacity as the Head of the Prosecution Unit of the Perak Immigration Department with obtaining a bribe for himself and the State Immigration Director amounting to RM7,000 from Nga, as an inducement to ensure that no inspection and raid were carried out on the same entertainment centre at the Meru Valley Golf and Country Club car park, at 9.55 pm on November 11, 2015.
All the charges were framed under Section 16(a)(B) and Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24 of the same act, providing a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher upon conviction. The prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Maziyah Mansor, while lawyer Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim acted on behalf of Zulhairin.