A police assistant commissioner and a deputy superintendent were charged at the Sessions Court earlier today on allegations that they took bribes totaling RM1.25 million in cash from a businessman in order to halt a case that allegedly linked him to a purchase of firearms by an Israeli man through cryptocurrency.

Judge Azura Alwi heard the not guilty pleas of Senior Assistant Director of Forensic Accounting Investigations, Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) Bukit Aman, ACP Chin Kiam Kong, 54, and its head of the Cryptocurrency Crime Investigation Unit, DSP Suhairon Abdullah, 42.

Together, Chin and Suhairon were accused as officers of the police force of conspiring to accept and taking a RM1 million cash bribe from Khoo Zixian, 28, in exchange for helping to end a criminal investigation into him related to an offense under Section 120 of the Penal Code (Act 574). 

  
Additionally, Chin entered a not guilty plea to two more counts in the same court, on receiving an RM250,000 bribe to assist in ending a criminal investigation against Khoo for a violation in a commercial case investigation.

The charge is framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (Act 694), read in conjunction with Section 34 of the Penal Code (Act 574). If found guilty, the punishment consists of a maximum 20-year jail sentence and a fine equal to five times the bribe amount, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

  
Chin requested bail at RM20,000 while Suhairon requested for a RM15,000 bail with both their lawyers further emphasising that their clients have served long-term in the police force. 

Following this, Judge Azura ordered the two accused to turn in their passports to the court and set bail at RM40,000 each with one or two sureties.

She has also announced the deadline of July 30 for document submission, according to BERNAMA.