KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan claimed trial for accepting close to RM7 million in bribes in relation to the Jana Wibawa scheme to help Bumiputera contractors.
The Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi.
The 48-year-old Bersatu leader was also charged with soliciting bribes for a road project worth RM232 million.
He was accused of asking for bribes from one Lian Tan Chuan, as an incentive to help Nepturis Sdn. Bhd. to obtain the Central Spine Road project from the government, in April 2022 at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana, here.
He was also accused of accepting RM6,962,694.54 in bribes that were credited to the WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd CIMB bank account. The company belongs to him.
He was accused of committing the offence between July 8 to Sept 30 in 2022.
Both charges were framed under Section 16(a)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, which carries up to 20 years jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, Rasyidah Murni Azmi prosecuted while Wan Saiful was represented by Senior counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan.
The court then order RM400,000 bail on the accused and fixed March 22 for re-mention.
The accused was also ordered to surrender his passport to the court and to report at the MACC office once every two months.
Wan Saiful was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) last night after giving his statement to the graft busters on the Jana Wibawa scheme.
The Jana Wibawa or 'Program Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa' was introduced to expedite project execution to spur the nation's economic recovery post Covid-19 pandemic.
It was also aimed at improving the capacity of Bumiputera contractors in the construction sector to be more resilient and competitive.
Among those in court to lend support to Wan Saiful were former prime minister and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin as well as other leaders.
Meanwhile, in a separate court, another Bersatu leader Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad claimed trial for two charges of the same offence after pleading not guilty before Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussain.
The 42-year-old was accused of asking for a bribe which amounts to 3.5 to 7 per cent of the total value of the project from Mat Jusoh Mamat, who is the director of MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd. The kickback was meant to be an incentive for helping the latter to obtain a Letter of Acceptance for the Project under the Janawibawa Program from the Malaysian Government.
The Segambut Bersatu division deputy chief was accused of committing the offence on March 2021 at a restaurant in Dutamas, here.
The businessman was also charged for accepting RM500,000 in bribe that was credited to his company's CIMB Bank account. He was accused of committing the offence on Nov 26, 2021, at the CIMB Bukit Tunku branch.
Both charges were framed under Section 16(a)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 of the same act, which carries up to 20 years jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Prosecution was by Deputy public prosecutor Farah Yasmin Salleh, while Adam Radlan was represented by Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam and Roshan Selvaratnam.
The court ordered RM120,000 bail on the accused and fixed March 23 for re-mention.