A policeman in Seremban was arrested on suspicion of taking two bags of onions from a driver as a “thank-you gift” for not issuing the driver an RM1,000 compound.
According to Seremban District Police Chief, YDH ACP Mohd Said Bin Ibrahim, the driver had picked up bags of onions and potatoes from Shah Alam on 29 November to be delivered to Seremban, reported Sin Chew Daily.
At about 2pm when the driver was passing through a roadblock at Senawang toll plaza, he was stopped by a police officer who asked him to produce a letter from his employer to prove that he was allowed to transport goods during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) or he would be fined.
Failing to produce a letter, the driver said the police officer demanded RM200 from him as a price for not getting an RM1,000 fine. However, the driver said that he had been unemployed since March and had only recently found a job as a driver.
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Upon seeing the goods in the lorry, the police officer then asked for 10 bags of onions instead. But the driver pleaded with the officer, saying that each bag of onions was worth RM50. The driver said that if 10 bags were found missing, his boss would deduct RM500 from his salary, which is equivalent to half a month’s wages.
The officer then allegedly took two bags of onions instead and let the driver go. After the driver arrived at his destination, he made a police report on the officer.
On 30 November, the 55-year-old officer was arrested in Senawang while two bags of onions containing 33 and 23 onions respectively were seized.
However, the officer denied that he had asked for bribes and argued that the onions were just a ‘thank-you gift’, alleging that the driver had given it away for free to thank him for not issuing a compound.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Said said that the case is being investigated under Article 384 of the Criminal Code (punishment for extortion), which states that whoever commits extortion shall be punished with imprisonment for up to ten years or with fine, or with whipping, or with any two of such punishments.
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