JOHOR BARU: A 42-year-old construction company manager was charged at the Sessions Court here with giving a RM10,000 bribe to a Public Works Department district officer a year ago.

       The accused, Asdi Ali, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him before judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail on Sunday (Jan 9).

       According to the charge sheet, the accused had allegedly bribed a 43-year-old engineer working with the Department in Selangor as an inducement for him to get the contract for road and safety maintenance at Jalan Batang Kali-Genting Highlands (B66) in Hulu Selangor, Selangor.

       The work also includes road repairs at Jalan Kuala Kali-Rasa in Hulu Selangor.

       The offence under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) 2009 Act was allegedly conducted at a golf club in Persiaran Golf 5, Gelang Patah, Johor in January 2021.

       If found guilty, the accused faces a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is greater and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

       The case was prosecuted by MACC prosecution officer Mohd Aliff Shaharuzaman, while the accused was represented by Nazrin Sulaiman.

       In submissions earlier, Mohd Aliff had requested bail to be set at RM10,000 and for the accused to report to the nearest MACC office every month.

       Mohd Aliff also requested the case to be moved to the Shah Alam Sessions Court as the accused is also facing another charge there for the same offence.

       Nazrin, in mitigation, then requested the court to apply the RM15,000 bail that had been paid by the accused when he was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court in December 2021.

       The defence counsel also informed the court that the accused had also been given an additional term by the Shah Alam Sessions Court to hand over his international passport and to report to the MACC office in Shah Alam every month.

       Ahmad Kamal Arifin then set the same bail in Shah Alam to be applied to the charge in Johor Baru and the case to be moved to the Shah Alam Sessions Court. The case's next mention is set for Jan 26.