Former assistant district officer charged with graft

SHAH ALAM: A former assistant district officer at the Kuala Langat Land and District Office (PTDKL) was charged in the Sessions Court here today with soliciting and accepting bribes in connection with the road resurfacing project in the district in 2020 and 2021.

Mohd Asraf Redzuan, 39, pleaded not guilty after the two charges were read before Judge Rozilah Salleh.

According to the charge sheets, Mohd Asraf, through a 35-year-old man, solicited RM5,000 and received money amounting to RM2,000 from another individual (a 44-year-old man) as a commission for him as a public official at PTDKL.

Mohd Asraf is accused of committing the act to help a company secure the contract, worth RM95,362.80, to resurface two lanes in Kampung Batu 10, Kebun Baru in Kuala Langat.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at the administrative office of a mosque and a local bank in Section 14, Shah Alam, between Nov 11, 2020, and Feb 24, 2021.

The charges are framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and can be punished under Section 24(1) of the same law which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, or whichever is higher if convicted.

Rozilah allowed Mohd Asraf a RM10,000 bail in one surety and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearby MACC office on the first week of every month until the disposal of the case.

The court set Oct 27 for re-mention of the case.

-- BERNAMA