A former magistrate today was ordered to answer eight corruption charges involving RM295,000.
The Kuantan Sessions Court this afternoon ruled that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against accused Mohamad Amin Shahul Hamid.
Under the law, a prima facie ruling means that a criminal case has been sufficiently made against the accused, unless the accused later successfully raises reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.
When contacted this afternoon, Amin’s defence counsel RSN Rayer confirmed that Sessions Court judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain ordered the accused to enter his defence against the eight charges.
Following today’s ruling, the case has entered the defence stage of the hearing, whereby Amin could either take the stand to testify in his defence, call other witnesses to give oral evidence to bolster his defence, or both.
On Dec 12, 2019, the then magistrate, 38, was charged at the Kuantan Sessions Court with eight counts of soliciting and accepting bribes involving a total of RM295,000. He claimed trial.
Three of the charges accused Amin of requesting a total of RM185,000 in bribes from one Hassan Basri Ahmad Sutan Modo, as alleged inducement for him to not impose a jail sentence on the latter.
According to the charges, Hassan Basri was charged at the Kuala Lipis magistrates’ court in Pahang with possession of smuggled cigarettes.
The three charges are framed under section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MAAC) Act 2009, and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, with a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
The remaining five charges accused Amin of receiving bribes amounting to RM110,000 from the same person and for a similar offence.
These five counts are laid under section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, which provides for a similar punishment if convicted.
He was alleged to have committed the offences at several locations in Lipis and Raub, Pahang between July 5 and Oct 22, 2019. - Mkini
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