KUALA LUMPUR: A former Hulu Selangor district council member has been charged with receiving a bribe amounting to RM500 to support the approval of an application for financial assistance by a social welfare organisation.
Murali Samee, 53, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial when the charges were read to him before Sessions Court judge Rozilah Salleh.
Murali allegedly received RM500 from a 67-year-old man as an incentive to support the approval of the application for financial aid to buy books for religious and moral classes for a social welfare organisation amounting to RM2,000.00.
The former council member allegedly committed the crime at a bank in Kuala Kubu Baru on Sept 7, 2020.
The offence falls under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24 of the same act.
It carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe received, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
The prosecution requested a bail of RM10,000 with one surety and two additional conditions — Murali must hand over his international passport to the court and must report himself at the nearest MACC office once a month.
Rozilah set a bail of RM8,000 with one surety and the accused must submit his international passport to the court and report himself in the first week of every month at the nearest MACC office.
The court then fixed May 10 for case management.
Source: New Straits Times
