KUALA LUMPUR: Another senior official of the Department of Environment (DOE) has been charged at the Sessions Court.
DOE deputy director-general, Dr Norhazni Mat Sari, 59, was accused of six counts of receiving RM21,000 without consideration in six transactions through her daughter's account.
According to the first until sixth charge sheets, the accused, who was charged in her capacity as the deputy DG, allegedly received the monies - RM1,000; RM1,000; RM2,000; RM2,000; RM5,000; RM10,000 - through transfers into her daughter's account, from a company director whom she knew has links to her official duty.
The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Bukit Bintang between April 18, 2022, and April 19, 2024.
Norhazni was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code and faces a maximum two-year imprisonment or fine or both, upon conviction.
She pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to her before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi here on Friday (April 3).
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that both parties have agreed on RM25,000 for bail.
"The prosecution is applying for the court to impound the accused's passport pending the disposal of the case," he said.
Lawyer Haresh Mahadevan, who represented Norhazni, however, said that his client has three work-related meetings in Geneva, Switzerland between June 16 and June 26, and asked the court not to impound the passport.
DPP Ahmad Akram proposed for the passport to be surrendered first to the court and the accused could make applications to obtain it from the court later for the trips.
Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi allowed bail at RM25,000 and fixed May 19 for mention.
She also ordered for the accused to surrender her passport to the court as an additional bail condition.
