JOHOR BARU: Former Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) mayor Datuk Adib Azhari Daud pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of accepting RM1.55 million in bribes between 2020 and 2021.
He entered the plea before Sessions Court judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman.
The 64-year-old former mayor is accused of allegedly accepting bribes ranging between RM10,000 and RM250,000 from two individuals through an intermediary.
The bribes were allegedly accepted as rewards to secure several construction projects.
According to the charge sheet, the bribes were connected to several projects including the annual maintenance of the mechanical and electrical pump systems for flood control at Sungai Sengkuang, Sungai Chat, and Sungai Segget over a 24-month period.
Other contracts were for the replacement of sewer pipes and maintenance of public sewer networks over a 12-month period, maintenance of centralised sewer systems, repair of collapsed embankments, maintenance of centralised sewage treatment plants, and Sungai Segget flood mitigation works for 24 months.
Also included were contracts for annual roadside landscape maintenance and the trimming and felling of trees within the MBJB administrative area.
The offences allegedly took place between June 26, 2020, and Aug 6, 2021, in Jalan Serama 7, in Larkin, here.
Adib Azhari was charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and could be penalised under Section 24(1) of the same act.
If convicted, he faces up to a 20-year imprisonment term and a fine five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Prosecution was by MACC deputy public prosecutor Natrah Fareha Rahmat while Adib Azhari was represented by counsel Azrul Zulkifli Stork.
The court set bail at RM120,000 with two local sureties, payable in two installments due to the public holiday in conjunction with the King's official birthday tomorrow.
Additional conditions include surrendering his passport to the court, reporting to the nearest MACC office monthly, and refraining from contacting any witnesses.
The court scheduled the case for further mention on July 3, to facilitate the documents submissions.
Yesterday, Adib Azahari was arrested at the MACC branch in Kluang.