KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — A former deputy general manager of Sepang Area Farmers’ Organisation (PPK) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today, to accepting bribes amounting to RM4,800 in connection with the 2021 Food Guarantee Fund Programme.
The accused, Mohd Asyraf Mohd Fauzi, 36, who was then an Economic Affairs Grade E29 assistant officer at Sepang PPK, was charged with accepting the RM4,800 bribe from a 39-year-old man through his CIMB account.
The bribe was an incentive for the accused to assist Syarikat Giching Maju Enterprise to obtain a cleaning contract and for the supply of sugar cane seedlings for the Sepang PPK farming project.
The offence allegedly committed at the CIMB Sentul Raya branch here, between November 10, 2021, to December 31, 2021, is framed under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
The section provides imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Irna Julieza Maaras proposed bail of RM20,000 with one surety and for the accused to surrender his international passport and report to the Selangor MACC office until the case is disposed of.
Counsel for the accused Saleh Ahmad appealed for the bail amount to be reduced as his client who is currently the Gombak PPK general manager, needs to support his wife and four children.
“My client has paid RM8,000 bail for the two earlier charges in the Shah Alam Sessions Court and he cannot afford to raise the proposed RM20,000 bail,” said Saleh adding that the accused does not own a passport,” he said.
Judge Suzana Hussin allowed the accused bail of RM5,000 with one surety and ordered him to report to the Selangor MACC office once a month.
The court also allowed the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam Sessions Court to be heard together with the two other cases faced by the accused.
On April 11, Mohd Asyraf claimed trial in the Shah Alam Sessions Court for two counts of bribery involving RM6,000 in connection with the same programme.
— Bernama