Dirty trick used to extort money

BAHAU - Two Negri Sembilan Health Department inspectors were caught on closed-circuit-television (CCTV) recording for allegedly collaborating in pouring mosquito larvae into a water tank at a workshop at Kwang Hup Industrial Park, to extort bribe from the owner recently.

Their action was caught in the workshop's CCTV on Tuesday and the 1minutes 55 seconds clip was uploaded on Youtube under the heading "Malaysia True Ugly Health officials factory for mosquitoes in check caught in CCTV" the next day.

In the noon incident, the men were seen in the video wearing vests bearing "Jabatan Kesihatan" or Health Department.

The 52-year-old workshop owner who only wanted to be known as Thambi, claimed he was shocked when told by his workers that the health team found larvae in the tak.

Thambi who was away at the time, said they changed the water in the tank once every two days.

"When I got back to talk to the health inspectors, they asked for RM50 'duit kopi' to avoid being issued with RM500 compound.

"Later that day, I watched the CCTV recordings and saw one of the inspectors taking out a small bottle from her handbag and pouring the contents into a water tank.

"She later took out a torchlight to inspect the water and proceeded to collect a water sample from the tank and subsequently told a male officer she found larvae in the water tank," he said.

Thambi said he also lodged a report at the Jempol District Health Office the next day and gave a copy of the CCTV recordings.

State department director Dr Datuk Dr Zailan Adnan in a statement issued today said the two staff based in Jempol were suspended from duty immediately pending investigation.

"If found guilty, they will be sacked as their action had tarnish the department's image and erode public's confidence on the public health service in the country," she said.

She described what had happened as regretable and disappointing but thanked the victim for coming forward to being the case to justice.

"I hope this would be a lesson for all health inspectors to work honestly and be trustworthy.

"I also urge premise owners who are caught, to not take short cut by giving bribes but to come forward and report as witness if any health inspectors asked for it," she said.

CCTV recording of the officers caught for allegedly pouring in mosquito larvae into a water tank at a workshop to extort bribe from the owner. NSTP pix by Hazreen Mohamad