Land assistant officer claims trial to permit offence (Updated)

JOHOR BARU: An assistant officer in the Johor Baru Land District Office pleaded not guilty to receiving a bribe of RM150,000 at a Session court here today.
Ahmad Ehwan Ahmad, 56, was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code for allegedly committing the offence of receiving the money from businessman Toh Ang Poo, 49, for approving several rock mining permit applications from the land office.
The accused was alleged have put the money into his personal account in Affin Bank, Johor Baru on September 5, 2016.
The charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code carries imprisonment of up to two years or a fine or both, on conviction.
Sessions Court judge Mohd Fauzi Mohd Nasir set bail at RM30,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to court.
He also fixed February 14 for mention.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Amir Nasruddin from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission proposed for the bail to be set at RM50,000 with one surety and for the accused's travel documents to be surrendered to the court.
However, counsel Azrul Stork requested for a lower bail sum of RM25,000 as the accused had not been paid a salary since his suspension from work in November, and has a wife and five children to support.