JOHOR BARU: A former management agent of an apartment complex pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to 23 charges of receiving bribes.
Tay Choon Siew, 68, was accused of receiving a total RM9,600 in bribes as an inducement to propose a company as the contractor for cleaning and landscaping works at an apartment complex here.
He was accused of committing the offences on 23 occasions between May 3, 2017 and September 3, 2019 at a bank in the city.
For all the offences, he was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 which is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
The accused claimed trial to all charges after they were read in front of Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Iamail.
MACC prosecuting officer Nur Mahirah Mohd Fauzi who prosecuted asked for bail to be set at RM20,000 with one surety and for the accused to surrender his passport to the court and for him to report to the Johor MACC office every month.
In mitigation, counsel Datin S Freda, who represented Tay, said the accused is currently jobless and has no income.
"He is also a former cancer patient who had his colon removed and had been fitted with the Stoma bag," said Freda.
Ahmad Kamal then set bail at RM5,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.
He fixed November 29 for mention of the case and for the submission of documents.