The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court ordered former Immigration Deputy director-general Yusof Abu Bakar to enter his defence over 14 charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM121,500 to approve the extension of social visit passes for Chinese nationals.

Judge Abu Bakar Katar said the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against Yusof, 56, and fixed Nov 23 to hear his defence.

The prosecution is led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Sazilee Abdul Khairi.

On Oct 14, 2008, Yusof was charged with accepting bribes of between RM500 and RM18,000 from a sales manager between March 21 and June 25 the same year.

The offences were allegedly committed in his office at the Level 7, Immigration Department in Putrajaya; at the Federal Hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang and at Caltex petrol station in Jalan Pudu.

On Nov 14, 2008, Yusof, who is represented by Mohammed Azmi Mohd Said, was also charged in the Klang Sessions Court on four counts of corruption and another corruption charge at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.

If convicted, he could be jailed up to 20 years and fined RM10,000 or five times the amount of graft involved, whichever is higher.

All the cases were transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court when the trial started on Feb 22.

Fifteen witnesses were called during the prosecution's case.

- Bernama