KUANTAN: A police sergeant pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to 42 counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM11,600 over two years from 2017.

       Abdul Ghafa Harun, 57, is accused of committing the offences between Jan 2, 2017 and Dec 3, 2019 via online transactions into his bank account in the knowledge that they were connected to his duties as a traffic police personnel at the Pahang police contingent headquarters.

       The father of three was charged on Thursday (Jan 27) with asking for a RM600 bribe for a total of eight times from a man, while the rest were allegedly from a woman with each transaction amounting to RM200, reported Bernama.

       He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code that provides for a maximum jail term of two years or fine or both, if convicted.

       Abdul Ghafa’s lawyer, Fakhrul Redha Paridul Adras, asked the court to set a lower bail on the grounds that his client was suffering from health issues that required him to undergo monthly hospital consultation and treatment.

       Judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain set bail at RM10,000 with one surety and set March 9 for mention.