MELAKA: A former director of the Melaka Youth and Sports Department has claimed trial to five charges of receiving bribes and submitting false claims amounting to RM126,100.
Khairol Adri Rosli, 51, entered his plea after the charges were read out before judge Elesabet Paya Wan at the Sessions Court in Ayer Keroh here.
In the first charge, the accused is alleged to have submitted false documents concerning upgrading works for the tennis and petanque courts at the Melaka State Youth and Sports Complex amounting to RM126,100.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Melaka Youth and Sports Department’s office on Dec 8, 2023.
The charge was framed under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same Act.
If convicted, the accused could be imprisoned for up to 20 years and fined not less than five times the value of the false claim or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
For the second to fifth charges, the accused is alleged to have received RM8,000 from Shaari So’od, 63, who had a vested interest in the upgrading works of the tennis and petanque courts at the Melaka Youth and Sports Complex.
The offences were allegedly committed at four locations around the Melaka International Trade Centre and Bukit Baru between Sept 25, 2023, and June 25, 2024.
For these offences, the accused was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries a sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Sharina Farhana Nor Sa’ari proposed bail of RM25,000 for all charges with additional conditions.
Defence lawyer T. Gajendran appealed for lower bail, saying that his client has to support three schoolgoing children, his wife and his mother.
The court later granted bail at RM20,000 for all charges and fixed Aug 15 as the next mention date.
