Three law practitioners including a former Kuala Kubu Bharu Sessions court judge pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today 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 judge 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's 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 Shah Alam between 9.30 am to 2.45 pm on July 17.

They were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the 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.

He was alleged to have received the money which was deposited into his personal bank account from one Soo Seng Kok, 36, via Zumairi Othman, 37 and Ahmad Feisal Mohd Azmi, 37.

The accused who was allegedly committed the offence at Maybank, Jalan Meru, Klang near here on May 10, 2018, was charged under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009, punishable with up to 20 years in jail and fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever was higher, if found guilty.

He was also charged with an alternative charge under Section 175 of the Penal Code for the same offence.

MACC’s deputy public prosecutor Allan Suman Pillai had asked the court to impose RM100,000 bail for each of the three accused with one surety and impound their passports.

For Azmil Muntahpha’s second charge, Allan also asked RM100,000 bail.

Azmil Muntapha was represented by lawyers Gregory Santiago, A Sheelan, Ridha Abdah Subri and Jagesh M. Lingam while Khairul Azhwa Yusri was represented by Zulkepli Omar and Nur Fathin Muhammad Zain while Noor Amirul Nazreen was represented by lawyers Shahidah Muslimah Roslan and Noorhidayah Mohd Saad

The lawyers who represented all three accused asked the court to reduce bail to between RM2,500 and RM12,000 each.

Rozilah set bail at RM12,000 for each accused with one surety and ordered all accused to surrender their passports to the court.

She fixed Dec 16 for re-mention. - Bernama