Zailan (left) pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him. — Bernama photo
SHAH ALAM: A former special officer to a Cabinet minister was charged in the Sessions Court here yesterday with accepting bribes, totalling RM80,000, from a contractor three years ago.
Zailan Jauhari, 47, however, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Judge Asmadi Hussin Asmadi allowed Zailan to be released on RM30,000 bail in one surety and set Feb 13 for mention.
He also ordered Zailan to report to the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the first Monday of every month.
Zailan is alleged to have received cash of RM20,000 and a cheque for RM60,000 as gratification for having helped two companies to secure tenders for school cleaning works in the Kuala Selangor district.
The offence was committed at a restaurant in Kuala Selangor between 7.30pm and 8pm on Jan 8, 2014.
The charge, under Section 16 (a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same law, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.
Earlier, the prosecution, conducted by deputy public prosecutor Mohammed Heikal Ismail, from Selangor MACC, requested bail at RM50,000.
However, lawyer Fadzil Manan, representing Zailan, asked for a lower bail on the grounds that his client was a contract employee with the government with a monthly income of RM2,300 and had a wife and three children to support.
He said Zailan also cooperated with MACC during the investigation and was in court yesterday, despite only being informed about the court case yesterday.
Mohammed Heikal then told the court that Zailan was arrested in 2014 and released on MACC bail, but had never been to the MACC office to extend his bail.
“The accused is in court today because MACC officers raided his house,” he added. — Bernama