SHAH ALAM: Three law practitioners including a former Kuala Kubu Bharu Sessions court judge pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here yesterday to a charge of taking RM17,500 in bribes last July.
Former judge Azmil Muntapha Abas, 45, who is now working as a legal officer at the Putrajaya Courts Complex, entered his plea after the charge against him was read out before justice Rozilah Salleh.
Two others are former deputy public prosecutor at Kuala Kubu Bharu Court Khairul Azhwa Yusri Mohamad, 32, (currently attached with the Attorney-General Chambers) and lawyer Noor Amirul Nazreen Anas, 31.
All three were accused of accepting bribes amounting RM17,500 from one Wong Chiew Hoong, 40, as an inducement to Azmil Muntapha to mete out a lighter sentence in the form of fine to seven illegal immigrants who had been charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Azmil Muntapha, Khairul Azhwa Yusri and Noor Amirul Nazreen were allegedly to have committed the offence at the Kuala Kubu Bharu Sessions Court, near here between 9.30 am to 2.45 pm on July 17.
They were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under subsection 24(1) of the same act which provides for a jail sentence of up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever was higher, or both if found guilty.
Azmil Muntapha was also separately charged with accepting RM5,000 for himself in May last year as an inducement for him not to conduct his duties as a judge and fine six individuals who had been charged under subsection 9(1) of the Common Gaming House Act 1953.
Azmil was represented by lawyers Gregory Santiago, A. Sheelan, Ridha Abdah Subri and Jagesh M. Lingam while Khairul Azhwa represented by Zulkepli Omar and Nur Fathin Muhammad Zain; and Noor Amirul was represented by lawyers Shahidah Muslimah Roslan and Noorhidayah Mohd Saad. – Bernama
