SEREMBAN: A former village community management council (MPKK) chief claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to two counts of receiving a RM10,000 bribe from a contractor.
Baharuddin Mian 61, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him before Sessions judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi on Tuesday (May 28).
He was charged with receiving a bribe from a contractor as an inducement to help secure repair and upgrading works in Port Dickson.
This included repairs at the Community Rehabilitation Centre (PDK) and surau in Kampung Gelam as well as upgrading works at the Kampung Air Meleleh community hall and drainage works at Taman Bukit Tuan Sheikh.
The accused allegedly committed the offences on Oct 7 and 13, 2020 at a bank in Port Dickson.
Baharuddin was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 punishable under Section 24 of the same legislation.
Offenders can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Azriff Firdaus Mohammad offered bail of RM10,000 for both offences pending next mention.
However, counsel for the accused Asmawi Ismail appealed for a minimum amount as his client was only a fisherman earning about RM750 a month.
Baharuddin, he said, also had to provide for his four children, wife and an aged mother.
Judge Meor Sulaiman then set bail at RM5,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the Port Dickson MACC office on the first Saturday of every month until disposal of the case.
The court then fixed June 27 for next mention.
