THE High Court today upheld the conviction and sentencing of a senior police officer found guilty of accepting a bribe seven years ago while serving in Pahang’s narcotics unit.
Judge Datuk Mohd Radzi Harun dismissed the appeal by Assistant Superintendent Hasbullah Ali Alias, 48, and affirmed the 12-month prison sentence and RM25,000 fine imposed by the Sessions Court in 2023.
Hasbullah was found guilty of receiving RM5,000 from an individual in connection with a drug-related investigation he was handling at the time. The offence occurred at a restaurant on Jalan Beserah, Kuantan, at 12.37pm on 7 May 2018.
During today’s proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Asraf Mohamed Tahir from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) represented the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer Ahmad Nur Faid Afiq Aziz.
The defence requested a stay of execution pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal. In response, the prosecution asked for an increased bail amount to ensure Hasbullah’s attendance throughout the appeals process.
The judge granted a stay of execution and set bail at RM15,000, with the condition that the accused must report to the nearest police station on the first Monday of each month. The court also ordered Hasbullah to surrender his passport until the appeal is resolved.
Hasbullah, who has since been suspended from duty, has 14 days to file his appeal. Failure to do so will result in bail forfeiture and immediate enforcement of the prison sentence.
On 15 December 2023, the Sessions Court had sentenced him to a year in jail and imposed a RM25,000 fine after convicting him under anti-corruption laws for accepting a bribe while serving with the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department at the Pahang state police headquarters. - June 20, 2025
