Admits Accepting Bribes, Former Major General Of The Malaysian Air Force Sanctioned Rp529 Million

JAKARTA - The Malaysian court imposed a fine of RM150 thousand or around Rp529.350 million against the former Major General of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Datuk Zainal Abdul Manaf on Thursday, November 14.

The defendant Zainal pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe of RM100,000 as payment for the construction of a house two years ago.

Judge Suzana Hussin also sentenced defendant Zainal to six months in prison if he failed to pay the fine.

Defendant Zainal was charged with receiving RM 100,000 without providing any services in return from someone while serving as Assistant Chief of Staff (Material) at the Ministry of Defense. The crime was committed at a bank in Wangsa Maju on March 15, 2022.

The indictment is based on Article 165 of the Malaysian Criminal Code which reads that it gives a maximum prison sentence of two years, a fine, or both, if found guilty.

Deputy public prosecutor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Aznika Mohd Anas urged the court to impose a heavier sentence as a lesson not only for the defendant but also for the community.

"The defendant is not an ordinary official, he holds a senior position. Therefore, the prosecutor demands appropriate and proportional punishment," he said, quoted from Bernama.

In response, the defendant Zainal's legal advisor said his client is currently only dependent on pensions for monthly expenses and is suffering from high blood pressure, while his wife is suffering from diabetes.

"We respectfully ask the court to impose a fine that is not too burdensome, because its age limits its ability to gain financial support to pay for it," he said.