SHAH ALAM: A former director of an education centre at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to two charges of abusing his position to secure employment contracts worth RM3.12mil in 2022.
Prof Datuk Muhammad Hussin, 64, a retiree, entered the plea after the charges were read out before judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin on Thursday (Oct 15).
Muhammad, a member of Koperasi Siswazah Bangi Berhad (KSBB), is accused of abusing his position to secure two contracts worth RM1.2mil and RM1.92mil respectively to manage the Master of Education programme through UKM’s Faculty of Education.
He was accused of influencing KSBB board members at two separate meetings to approve the appointment of QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a company in which he purportedly had an interest, as the programme operator.
The alleged offences took place on Feb 26 and June 25, 2022, at Kolej Keris Mas, UKM, and Hotel Tenera in Bangi, respectively.
Muhammad was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
The section provides for up to 20 years' jail and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification involved, if it can be valued or is monetary in nature, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin proposed bail of RM300,000, with additional conditions requiring the accused to report to the MACC office, surrender his passport to the court and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.
Defence counsel Muhammad Wafi Anwar Roslan sought a lower bail of RM50,000, citing his client’s financial circumstances, including his responsibility for two wives and nine children, and his reliance on a monthly pension as his sole source of income.
"The accused also suffers from synovial sarcoma and heart disease, both of which require regular treatment.
"I also urge the court not to impose the passport surrender condition, as his second wife and child are in Indonesia," he said.
The court set bail at RM80,000 and ordered the accused to surrender his passport and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.
The case was fixed for mention on Nov 12. – Bernama
