KUALA LUMPUR – Three policemen were charged at a magistrates’ court here with stealing RM85,000 during a raid to flush out undocumented migrants in the city centre last week.
The officers, aged between 26, 30 and 35, pleaded not guilty before magistrate Aina Azahra Arifin, Bernama reports.
The three are Lieutenant-Corporal Mohamad Adib Mohd Zafri, 35, Lieutenant-Corporal Mohamad Amirul Aiman Mama, 26, and Corporal Muhamad Hafiz Irsyad Mohd Nawi, 30.
They were charged with stealing the money from a business called NGWE Gabar Sdn Bhd in Jalan Lebuh Pudu, off Jalan Silang, during the multi-agency operation on December 21.
Aina Azahra granted bail of RM17,000 for each of the accused in two sureties, and fixed February 6 for case mention.
The charges are under Section 380 the Penal Code which deals with theft, and Section 34 of the same code which deals with criminal acts committed by several persons.
They face a penalty of10 years’ imprisonment and a fine for a first offence, and jail and a fine or whipping if this is their second offence.
Deputy public prosecutor Izzat Amir today asked the court not to offer bail as the accused are public servants who committed the alleged offence while on duty.
Izzat said that should the court wish to grant bail, it should be set at no less than RM30,000 in two sureties for each of the accused.
In addition, he asked the court to impound their passports until hearing is completed, and for the officers to report to the nearest police station each month.
Defence lawyers, however, urged the court to order a lower bail amount citing the low salaries of RM2,100 earned by each of the policemen.
Adib and Hafiz were represented by lawyer Api Zulkarnain Zulkafli, while Amirul was represented by Khairunnisa Azzahrah Ghazalie.
The three officers were arrested on December 23 and remanded for four days.
Their thieving was discovered after police received a report at 12.36am on December 22 of lost cash mounting to RM85,000 from a business premise in Lebuh Pudu during an operation to round up undocumented migrants.
The trio were reportedly recorded on CCTV during a search of the building.
Following the arrests, police reportedly seized RM63,500 in cash, a Perodua Myvi car, two mobile phones and payment receipts for the purchase of tires and maintenance of the vehicle.
In the operation, a total of 1,101 foreigners were arrested for various immigration offences, including not having valid travel documents. – December 24, 2023