PUTRAJAYA, Nov 26 — The Court of Appeal has upheld the 30-month prison sentence and RM225,000 fine imposed on a former police officer convicted on two charges of soliciting and receiving bribes, committed nine years ago.
The three-judge panel, comprising Justices Datuk Azizah Nawawi, Datuk Azman Abdullah, and Datuk Azmi Ariffin, unanimously dismissed the appeal by Muhammad Hafizzuddin Hassan today, seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision that affirmed the conviction of the Sessions Court.
Delivering the court’s decision, Justice Azizah said: “Upon review of the evidence and findings presented by the lower courts, we are of the opinion that the conviction is safe.”
The 42-year-old ex-police inspector, who had been granted RM20,000 bail with one surety pending the outcome of his appeal, is required to begin serving his prison sentence immediately.
On June 1, 2020, the Sessions Court convicted the accused of accepting RM15,000 in bribes from Abdul Ghani Ismail, 54, allegedly in exchange for his senior officer’s intervention to resolve a Prevention of Crime Act case involving Ridduan Ahmad, aged 50.
The offence was committed at the office of the defendant at the Barat Daya District police headquarters in Balik Pulau, Penang, at 3pm on April 8, 2015.
The Sessions Court sentenced Hafizzuddin to 30 months imprisonment and imposed a fine of RM75,000, in default six months imprisonment.
He was also convicted on a second charge of attempting to solicit a bribe of RM30,000 from Abdul Ghani Ismail, which took place inside a vehicle at Lebuh Pekaka in Taman Pekaka, Penang, at 6.20pm on May 18, 2015.
The Sessions Court sentenced the accused to 30 months imprisonment and a RM150,000 fine in default of eight months imprisonment for this charge, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently.
Hafizzuddin appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal following the High Court’s dismissal of his appeal on March 24 last year.
He was represented by lawyer C.P. Ang, while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's deputy public prosecutors Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan, Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin, Noor Azura Zulkiflee, and Afiqa Liyana Rozman appeared for the prosecution.
— Bernama
