SHAH ALAM: A former Sabak Bernam District Council (MDSB) member was charged in the sessions court here today with 10 counts of corruption, involving RM24,000, and for power abuse.
The accused, Mohamad Fauzi Ahmad, 49, pleaded not guilty to all the charges before magistrate Rozilah Salleh.
On six of the charges, Mohamad Fauzi, who is former Sungai Besar PKR leader, was alleged to have given bribes, totalling RM7,000, through cash deposit at the CIMB Bank branches in Sungai Besar and Rawang, between April and September to one Abu Taib Bujang.
The bribe was given as an inducement for Abu Taib to vote for Ligat Bina Enterprise to be the organiser for the MDSB 2016 Raya Expo at the council’s Business Control and Health Committee meeting Series 4/2016 on May 13, 2016.
For the remaining four corruption charges, he was alleged to have given a total of RM17,000 to four government agents to do the same, for the same purpose and at the same meeting.
Mohamad Fauzi was alleged to have given the bribe, in cash, to Wong Ah Chia (RM10,000), Sulam Iskandar (RM5,000), Tee Yee Wei (RM1,300) and Mah Eng Kian (RM700) at several locations in Sabak Bernam, Sekinchan and Sungai Besar PKR divisional office between May 2016 and March 2017.
He is also charged with abusing his position as MDSB member by seeking gratification to select Ligat Bina Enterprise as organiser for the MDSB 2016 Raya Expo.
The offence was allegedly committed at the MDSB office on May 13, 2016.
The charges against Mohamad Fauzi were framed under Section 17 (b) and Section 23 (1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and he faces imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribes and gratification involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Mohammad Suffian Ja’afar, who prosecuted, offered bail at RM100,000 for all charges, but lawyer R. Tirukumaran, representing Mohamad Fauzi, requested the bail amount to be reduced as his client, who earned about RM4,000 a month, had a wife and two children to support.
Rozilah then set bail at RM60,000 in one surety for all charges and also ordered Mohamad Fauzi to surrender his passport to the court.
The court set March 27 for mention. — Bernama
