SHAH ALAM: Padang Serai MP Datuk Azman Nasrudin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetting corruption in connection with a Kedah state-owned cattle farming joint venture project.
He is accused of abetting corruption involving RM400,000, allegedly received by businessman Amar Assuat Abu Bakar on June 20, 2020.
Amar had allegedly received the money from businessman Mohd Hassanaim Fauzi as a reward for helping him obtain a feedlot project at the Kedah Agro Feedlot Farm from Kedah Agro Holdings Bhd (KAHB).
According to the charge sheet, Azman is accused of abetting corruption by instructing the KAHB chief executive officer to issue a letter of offer to Hassanaim for the project on June 23, 2020.
Azman’s charge was framed under Section 28(1)(c) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, read together with Section 16(a)(A).
Those found guilty under Section 28(1)(c) could face imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin proposed a bail of RM100,000 for Azman with an additional condition that his passport be surrendered to the court, before Sessions Court Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.
Azman’s lawyer, N. Surendren, objected to the proposed bail, deeming it too high, as well as against the condition to surrender his client's passport.
“My client (Azman) is a representative of the people while also supporting a household with his wife being a full-time housewife and five children, in addition to supporting his 82-year-old mother.
“There is also no supporting evidence as to why my client's passport must be surrendered to the court for this case,” N Surendren said to Judge Mohd Nasir on Monday (Dec 8).
Meanwhile, Amar also pleaded not guilty to two charges, one for soliciting and another for accepting the RM400,000 gratification from Mohd Hassanaim, at the same court.
Both of his charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act.
DPP Muaz Ahmad proposed a bail of RM200,000 for Amar, while imposing the same condition that his passport be surrendered to the court, before Judge Mohd Nasir.
Judge Mohd Nasir then set bail for both Amar’s and Azman’s cases at RM75,000 each, with one surety each, and instructed both men to surrender their passports to the court.
Amar was also ordered to report himself to the MACC every month until the case was settled.
Amar and Azman’s case is fixed for mention on Jan 13 next year.
N Surendren said Azman’s defence team will also apply to the High Court to possibly dismiss the case, before the case is mentioned on Jan 13.
“Based on the charge sheet details, no offence has been committed by Azman as there are no facts showing any wrongful conduct, acceptance of bribes or anything of the sort done by my client.
“As such, we believe this is a baseless charge with no basis, so we will file any application to the High Court to dismiss the case,” he told the court.
On Saturday (Dec 6), Azman was detained by Kedah MACC after investigations began in February 2025 into an alleged payment of about RM400,000 to facilitate the approval of land use rights for a feedlot project.
Azman said he had previously visited the MACC Kedah office on March 25 as a witness to assist in the case’s investigation, but later received a sudden instruction to meet an investigating officer at the Sungai Buloh R&R.
