SHAH ALAM: A bank officer was charged again on Thursday (Oct 23) with 104 counts of accepting bribes totalling RM398,100 related to personal loan applications that exceeded customers’ eligibility limits.
The accused, 43-year-old Zayme Zanee Othman, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud here.
Zayme, Head of the Financing Unit at Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd’s Serdang Raya branch, allegedly received bribes via online transfers into a company account owned by his wife, from the accounts of Mohd Farid Aswad Adzahar and Fass Marketing Consultant.
The payments were made in return for processing personal loan applications where customers held multiple loans exceeding permissible limits across several financial institutions.
The offences allegedly occurred at Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd’s Bandar Baru Bangi branch between Nov 19, 2020 and Oct 4, 2024, under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
If convicted, Zayme faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The prosecution offered bail of RM150,000 with one surety, subject to conditions including surrender of the accused’s passport, regular reporting to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and refraining from contact with prosecution witnesses.
Defence counsel requested bail reduction, citing Zayme’s cooperation and family obligations.
The judge granted bail at RM70,000 with one surety and the conditions sought by the prosecution, setting Dec 17 for the case’s next mention.
On Oct 16, Zayme had pleaded not guilty in Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to nine counts of accepting bribes totalling RM12,600 from Mohd Farid Aswad via online transfers. – Bernama
