A Syarie chief prosecutor at the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) was sentenced to a total of eight years’ jail and fined RM55,000 by the Sessions Court in Ipoh today after he was found guilty on four counts of corruption five years ago.

Judge Tan Hooi Leng handed down the sentence on Shahrunnazri Abdul Samad, 43, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubts against the prosecution’s case.

On the first count, Shahrunnazri, 43, was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM25,000, in default two months jail, for corruptly soliciting RM5,000 as an inducement for him to not take action against policeman Mohamad Asri Bakar, who was caught on suspicion of committing ‘ khalwat ’ (close proximity).

The offence was committed at 11am at the Restoran Capati Medan Gopeng, No 41 and 43, Medan Gopeng 1, Ipoh.

For the second, third and fourth count, he was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM10,000, in default two months’ jail, each for accepting the gratification from the policeman.

On the second count, Shahrunnazri was charged with receiving RM1,000 from Mohamad Asri for the same purpose at Malayan Banking Berhad, No 194-206, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, at 3.25pm on Aug 1, 2007.

The third count was for accepting RM2,000 from Mohamad Asri for the same purpose at Malayan Banking Berhad at No 57 & 59, Selasar Rokam 2, Taman Ipoh Jaya, Ipoh, about 11.30am on Aug 13, 2007.

On the fourth count, Shahrunnazri, was charged with receiving RM2,000 from the policeman, also for the same purpose at Malayan Banking Berhad, No 194-206, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, at 4.25pm on Sept 25, 2007.

All the jail sentences were to be served concurrently from today, which meant that  Shahrunnazri would be in prison for only two years.

However, following a request by lawyer Yusri Kamaruddin, representing Shahrunnazri, Tan allowed a stay of the sentence pending an appeal at the High Court and increased bail to RM20,000 with one surety.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission prosecution unit head, Abdul Razak Musa, prosecuted.

- Bernama