PUTRAJAYA: A former Perak Immigration Department Prosecution Unit chief began serving a three-year prison sentence today after the Court of Appeal reinstated his conviction for soliciting and accepting bribes 11 years ago.
A three-member panel led by Judge Datuk Noorin Badaruddin, in an unanimous decision, allowed the prosecution's final appeal to set aside the Ipoh High Court's decision that had acquitted Zaidi Dali, 58.
Noorin, presiding alongside Judges Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid and Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Harun, stated in her judgment that the High Court judge erred in acquitting Zaidi.
She said the prosecution had presented sufficient grounds to enable the court to intervene in the appeal.
"Therefore, we are satisfied that the prosecution's case, when evaluated based on the correct legal principles and as a whole, has proven the charge against the respondent beyond a reasonable doubt," she said.
"The conviction recorded by the Sessions Court judge is reinstated. We also find no basis to disturb the sentence imposed by the otherworldly Sessions Court.
"Therefore, the sentence is also reinstated," she said, while ordering a committal warrant to be issued immediately.
She said after examining the overall evidence, the court was satisfied that the evidence regarding the meeting between PW3 (Prosecution Witness 3) and Zaidi, as well as subsequent events, supported the findings of the Sessions Court judge.
"The allegation of a 'request' must be evaluated as part of the entire incident and not as an isolated conversation separated from the events before and after it," she said.
Regarding the acceptance of the RM7,000, Noorin said there was a chain of evidence concerning the receipt of the RM7,000 based on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses.
Noorin said corruption can erode public confidence, and therefore public authorities accused of abusing their positions for personal gain must take such accusations seriously.
The prosecution appealed against the Ipoh High Court's decision on August 8, 2025, which had acquitted Zaidi of both charges.
On September 23, 2022, the Ipoh Sessions Court sentenced Zaidi to three years in prison and a fine of RM85,000 after finding him guilty of soliciting and accepting bribes.
Zaidi, in his capacity as the Perak Immigration Department Prosecution Unit chief was charged with soliciting a bribe of RM10,000 per month from Nga Chee Jiek as an inducement to ensure that no inspections and raids were conducted at an entertainment center in Pusat Bandar Seri Manjung.
The offence was committed at the Meru Valley Golf & Country Club at 9:00 pm on November 5, 2015, under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
He was also charged with obtaining a bribe of RM7,000 from Nga for himself as an inducement to ensure no inspections and raids were conducted on the same entertainment center at the parking lot of the Meru Valley Golf & Country Club at 9:55 pm on November 11, 2015, under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
During today's proceedings, the prosecution was represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan, while Zaidi was represented by lawyer Datuk M. Athimulan.
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