(Bloomberg) — A Malaysian journalist was charged in court docket for allegedly receiving a bribe in return for backing off an investigation into an alleged migrant employee trafficking syndicate.
B. Nantha Kumar, a reporter with native on-line information outlet Malaysiakini, was charged on the Classes Court in Selangor state with receiving 20,000 ringgit ($4,500) in trade for retracting and never importing articles a few overseas employees cartel.
Kumar pleaded not responsible. If convicted, he faces a most of 20 years in jail and a nice of no less than 100,000 ringgit, 5 occasions the worth of the alleged bribe.
Kumar’s case additionally comes amid elevated concern about press freedom underneath the federal government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia fell 34 locations to 107th in a 2024 rating by Reporters With out Borders.
The reporter was arrested by anti-graft officers final month for allegedly taking the bribe from an agent that offers in overseas employees. Kumar mentioned in a March 7 assertion that he had not solicited the bribe, however as an alternative took an envelope, which he believed contained cash, as a result of he deliberate to give up it to a senior immigration official as proof of the agent’s wrongdoing.
“We proceed to face by our journalist who’s harmless till confirmed in any other case in court docket,” mentioned Malaysiakini Managing Editor Ng Ling Fong after the court docket proceedings.
The court docket set bail Kumar’s bail at 10,000 ringgit with one surety. He was ordered to give up his passport and report back to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Fee workplace as soon as a month.
Malaysian press teams rallied in assist of Kumar. The Nationwide Union of Journalists Malaysia urged the anti-graft company on Monday to not harass or intimidate journalists.
“Press freedom have to be upheld, and journalists should not be handled as criminals for exposing wrongdoing,” NUJM Basic Secretary Teh Athira Mohd Yusof mentioned in the assertion.
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