SHAH ALAM: A former senior civil servant has claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to two counts of graft.
Shahrulzaman Jaafar, 43, a former senior principal assistant secretary with the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry, is accused of accepting bribes amounting to RM100,000.
He allegedly accepted the bribes on two occasions last year as an inducement related to the issuance of tender to a company for the supply and delivery of biofertiliser.
Under the first charge, Shahrulzaman is accused of accepting RM70,000 from one Hazrul Hisyam Hassan.
The money was allegedly a bribe to aid Hazrul Hisyam in securing a tender to supply and deliver biofertiliser valued at RM37,478,572 under the Production Incentive Scheme to KIIK Resources Sdn Bhd.
Shahrulzaman, who has since been suspended from work, had allegedly committed the offence between 11am and noon at a roadside near the Serdang Hospital on May 12, last year.
He was also charged with allegedly accepting RM30,000, also from Hazrul Hisyam, between 1pm and 2pm at Taman D’Alpinia, Puchong on Sept 21,2020.
Shahrulzaman was charged for both offences under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 before judge Rihaida Rafie.
If found guilty, he faces a maximum jail term of 20 years or a fine not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Rihaida set bail at RM10,000 with one surety for both charges as offered by MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong and agreed by the accused. The case was fixed for mention on Jan 27.
Shahrulzaman, who had also pleaded not guilty to three charges of graft at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Jan 12, was represented by defence counsel Azizul Shariman Mat Yusoff.
