KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno MP Datuk Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid claimed trial to 14 charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM23,540 at the sessions court here today.
Ehsanuddin, who represented Kota Tinggi in the Dewan Rakyat but was dropped from the Barisan Nasional candidates list in the last polls, pleaded not guilty to the charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code.
He is alleged to have committed the offences in his capacity as a director of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
Ehsanuddin is accused of receiving the money in 14 separate cheque transactions from Karya Hidayah Sdn Bhd at the Affin Bank Bhd branch in Taman Maluri here, between February 2014 and November 2015.
The money was allegedly for the monthly instalment payments for his car.
It is an offence under section 165 of the Penal Code for a public servant to receive an item of value from a party involved in a proceeding or business related to his duties.
This is Ehsanuddin’s second appearance in court in less than a week. On Sunday, he was charged in the Johor Baru sessions court for receiving RM50,000 and a parcel of land worth RM180,000 from Karya Hidayah in September 2013 and March 2014, respectively.
In today’s proceedings, judge Azman Ahmad set bail at RM30,000 and ordered him to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the first week of every month.
This makes Ehsanuddin the latest entry in a growing list of sitting or former MPs or state assemblymen to be hauled to court to face various charges since the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018.
The most high profile case involves former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who faces multiple charges relating to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.
Next is Najib’s former deputy and current Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has to answer for his alleged involvement in money laundering.
