Ex-NAFAS finance manager charged with corruption

A former senior finance manager of the National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) was charged in the Sessions Court here today with three counts of accepting gratification, totaling RM6,000 from a contractor.

Muhammad Saiful Iskandar Kassim, 43, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges before judge Azura Alwi.

For all the charges, he was charged with corruptly receiving RM2,000 in each transaction, from one Mohd Nazim Ariff Nazir Ariff, which was transferred into his Maybank account, as an inducement to expedite the payment process for the contract to supply manpower and equipment to deliver fertiliser from NAFAS godown at NPK Fertelizer Sdn Bhd Kedah and Agro-Tech NPK (M) Sdn Bhd to the NAFAS godown in Sabah and Sarawak.

All the offences were allegedly committed at Dataran Maybank branch, Level 1, Tower A, Dataran Maybank, No.1 Jalan Maarof here between Dec 10, 2015 and Feb 26, 2016.

The charge, under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher upon conviction.

Muhammad Saiful Iskandar, who is now a cooperative manager at NAFAS, was allowed bail of RM20,000 in one surety for all charges and ordered to surrender his passport to the court, as well as report himself at a MACC office on the first week of every month.

The court set Sept 25 for mention.

Deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Fadhli Ab Wahab prosecuted, while Muhammad Saiful Iskandar was unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA