JOHOR BAHRU: A former assistant district officer pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today with accepting bribes, amounting to RM10,000, as an inducement to appoint certain companies to carry out the Johor housing assistance project.

Nazri Izuddin Madon, 37, made the plea before judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail.

He was charged with corruptly accepting RM10,000 from a man as as inducement to appoint certain companies to carry out the project in the Segamat district in 2020.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Segamat district office at about 2.45 pm on Oct 19, last year.

The charge, under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years or fine of five times the amount of the gratification, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

The court allowed him bail of RM7,000 with one surety, to surrender his passport and report himself at the Johor MACC office once a month.

The court set Aug 16 for submission of documents.

Deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong prosecuted, while lawyer Abdul Rahim Ali represented the accused.

-- BERNAMA