KUALA TERENGGANU: A police officer will spend a total of six years in prison after he was found guilty of soliciting and receiving bribes to cover up a drug offence.

Insp Mohd Izzwan Jamalud Din, 35, was convicted of violating Section 17(a) and Section16(a)B of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission Act 2009 for receiving and soliciting bribes while serving with the Hulu Terengganu Police District Headquarters' Narcotics Criminal Investigations Department in Aug 2015.

Judge Mohamad Haldar Abd Aziz sentenced the police officer to three years in prison for accepting and an additional three years for soliciting.

He also allowed for the prison term to run concurrently.

Additionally, Insp Mohd Izzwan was made to pay a fine totalling RM125,000 for both offences or face another three years in prison.

Mohamad Haldar also offered a stay of execution on the initial prison sentence if the defendant could pay the fine.

However, Insp Mohd Izzwan failed to do so and is expected to begin his prison term at the Marang prison on Sunday (Feb 25).

DPP Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry prosecuted while the defendant was represented by Datuk Amirul Ridzuan Datuk Hanif of Hanif and Co.

In 2016, Insp Izzwan pleaded not guilty to soliciting RM20,000 to cover up an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 at a house in Kampung Durian Kassim, Kuala Berang on Aug 15, 2015.

He also pleaded not guilty to another charge of accepting bribes amounting to RM5,000 near a fast food restaurant in the same district five days later.