JOHOR BARU: A construction company manager has been charged at a Sessions Court here with giving a RM10,000 bribe to a Public Works Department (JKR) district officer a year ago.

       Asdi Ali, 42, claimed trial after the charge was read to him before judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail yesterday.

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

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

       The offence allegedly occurred at a golf club in Persiaran Golf 5, Gelang Patah, Johor, in January last year.

       The offence under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act carries a fine of five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is greater, and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

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

       Mohd Aliff asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 and for the accused to report to the nearest MACC office every month.

       He also requested for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Sessions Court where the accused is facing another charge.

       Meanwhile, Nazrin asked the court to apply the RM15,000 bail which had already been imposed on the accused, after he was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court last month.

       The defence counsel also informed the court that the accused had also been ordered 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 to be applied and for the case to be moved to the Shah Alam Sessions Court. The case is fixed for mention again on Jan 26.