KUALA TERENGGANU: A senior quantity surveyor at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today, to nine counts of accepting cash bribes and a motorcycle amounting to RM30,000.

The accused, Malike Mohamed, 52, was charged with eight counts of receiving cash amounting to RM14,500 from the representative of AMZ Sepakat Sdn Bhd, Azman Yusof, in return for facilitating an interim payment claim process made by the company to UniSZA, at a bank here, between May 15, 2019, to July 6, 2020.

Malike also allegedly received a Yamaha Y15ZR motorcycle from Azman in August 2019, despite knowing that there was a link between the giver and his post.

He was charged under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 and under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum of two years imprisonment or a fine.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Tengku Nurul Haziqah Tuan Yacob offered bail of RM12,000 for all charges as well as three additional conditions which are not to disturb prosecution witnesses, report to the MACC office every month and surrender his passport to the court.

Judge Mohd Azhar Othman then allowed the accused to be bailed at RM12,000 in one surety in addition to allowing additional conditions applied by the prosecution.

The court set March 10 for mention and document management. - Bernama