Three MACC officers acquitted on robbery charges
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SEPANG: A Sessions Court here on Tuesday has acquitted and discharged three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers who were charged with robbing three Singaporean moneychangers of USD$300,000 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Judge Ahmad Fairuz Mohd Puzi made the rulings against Asst Comm S. Vijayarao, 36, Asst Supt Wan Elfie Shafizy Ahmad, 33, and senior Asst Supt Aziz Jaafar, 51, after the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against the three.
However, judge Ahmad Fairuz ordered businessman T. Sritharan, 35, who was described as the principal offender, to enter his defence after the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against him.
Vijayarao, Wan Elfie Shafizy, Aziz and two others still at large, were charged on Oct 7, 2011. They were accused of robbing Hameed Saadik Batcha, Abdul Rahman Marican and Mohamed Zakkariya Mohamed Shatik of US$100,000 each.
The offences were allegedly committed at a men’s toilet near a restaurant on Level 1 of the satellite building at KL International Airport at 11.25pm on Sept 15, 2011.
Those still at large are T. Sritharan, 35, and D. Nagarajan, 37.
They were also charged with abetment under Section 395 of the Penal Code, which provides for a 20-year jail term and whipping upon conviction.
The three men were also charged with abetting Sritharan, who despite not being an MACC officer, had allegedly introduced himself as one to the moneychangers.
The charge is under Section 419 of the Penal Code which provides for seven years’ jail or fine or both upon conviction.
The trio also face up to two years’ jail or fine or both upon conviction for allegedly abetting and impersonating a public servant. This charge is under Section 170 of the Penal Code.
The offences were allegedly committed at 11am on the same day and place.
They were also accused of knowingly keeping mum about the robbery plan so that Sritharan and Nagarajan would have no problem in committing the crime.
Sritharan was charged on Oct 18. He was accused of robbing the moneychangers of US$100,000 each.
He was charged under Section 395 of the Penal Code.
He also faced three charges of cheating the three moneychangers by introducing himself as MACC officers to the three moneychangers and another three charges of impersonating as MACC officers.
The offences took place at the KLIA at about 11pm on the same day and they were charged under Section 419 and 170 of the Penal Code.
The four had claimed trial to the charges.
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