March 24 hearing for MACC’s appeal over ex-top cop’s acquittal

(Bernama) – The High Court today set March 24 to hear the appeal of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against the acquittal and discharge of former Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Department director Datuk Ramli Yusuff on two counts of failing to declare ownership of shares and his interests in two properties worth RM1,032,840.

Deputy Registrar Rusita Md Lazim set the date in chambers and informed Ramli’s counsel Badrul Munir and MACC’s deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sophian Zakaria to summit their written submissions before the hearing date.

The appeal will be heard before Justice Datuk Ghazali Cha.

On March 12 last year, the Sessions Court here had held that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him on all three charges.

Ramli, 58, was charged with failing to declare ownership of 20,000 Telekom Malaysia Berhad shares and 154,000 Permaju Industries Berhad shares, and interest in two office properties.  

He was alleged to have committed the offences at the office of the then Anti-Corruption Agency’s deputy public prosecutor in Putrajaya on Sept 17, 2007.

On July 28, 2009, Ramli was acquitted by the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court of a charge of abusing his public office through the unauthorised use of a police Cessna Caravan aircraft for pecuniary gain.  

Ramli was alleged to have ordered the use of a Royal Malaysian Police aircraft to take him as well as two civilians on an aerial surveillance of two lots in Ulu Tungku, Lahad Datu, in which his real estate company, Kinsajaya Sdn Bhd, had a personal interest, on June 15, 2007.  

The Kota Kinabalu High Court had dismissed MACC’s appeal on March 18 last year.

Ramli was also acquitted and discharged by another Sessions Court on a charge of holding a post in an agriculture company while still in the police force.