Former Johor Baru mayor charged with receiving bribes totaling RM1.5mil

JOHOR BARU: Former Johor Baru mayor Datuk Adib Azhari Daud has been charged at the Session Court here for allegedly soliciting and receiving bribes amounting to RM1.5mil.

The 64-year-old pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of accepting bribes as an inducement for helping contractors get projects approved by the city council.

He claimed trial after all charges were read to him in front of Sessions Judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman here on Sunday (June 2).

Adib Azhari is accused of having received payments of sums between RM10,000 and RM250,000 from a middleman for helping contractors get projects in areas under the jurisdiction of the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB).

The offences under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 were allegedly conducted at Jalan Serama 7, Larkin, here between June 26, 2020, and 6 August, 2021 when Adib Azhari was the mayor.

The money was allegedly an inducement for the accused to help get contracts for sewer pipe replacement and maintenance, the maintenance of a centralised sewage treatment plant in Sungai Segget, trimming trees and landscape maintenance.

If found guilty, Adib Azhari faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribes, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The case was prosecuted by MACC deputy public prosecutors Natrah Fareha Rahmat and Nur Zahida Muhammad Rozi, while the accused was represented by counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork.

During proceedings, Natrah Fareha has requested bail to be set at RM300,000 with one surety, along with an order for the accused to hand over his international passport to the court.

The accused was also directed to report to the MACC office at the first week of every month and not disturb any witnesses in the case.

Azrul, in mitigation, requested a lower bail as the accused is now living on his monthly pension payment of RM7,000 and has no other source of income.

The court then set bail at RM120,000 with two sureties paid in installments of RM60,000 on Sunday and another RM60,000 on Tuesday (June 4) as banks are not operational on public holidays, along with the additional terms.

The court also set July 3 for the next mention of the case. The accused posted bail.

Earlier, the MACC said in a statement that a former mayor was detained at the Commission's office in Johor Baru on Saturday (June 1) at 4pm to help with an investigation regarding a bribery case.

Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias, when contacted, confirmed the arrest.