11 hours ago
Former Dewan Negara deputy speaker charged over Range Rover bribe
AYER KEROH: A former Deputy Dewan Negara Speaker was charged in the Sessions Court here today with receiving a Range Rover Sport as gratification from a company director.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad, 61, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before Judge Elesabet Paya Wan.
According to the charge, Mohamad Ali, as the managing director of a development company, corruptly received the Range Rover Sport from a company director with a "Datuk" title.
The gratification was an inducement to award the company subcontracting work related to an 89.3ha reclamation project in Melaka.
The contract was for the extraction, transportation, and unloading of sea sand at RM6.50 per cubic metre.
The offence was allegedly committed at the company's office in Taman Kota Syahbandar in June 2015.
Mohamad Ali was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and is punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, he faces a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
On June 18, Mohamad Ali was charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court with 20 corruption offences and was granted bail of RM60,000 with one surety, with his passport surrendered to the court.
He pleaded not guilty then.
During today's proceedings, MACC Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib requested the same conditions and bail amount as decided by the Shah Alam Court.
"The prosecution will also file an application on the mention date of July 27 in the Shah Alam Court for all cases there to be transferred to Melaka Sessions Court 1 to be jointly tried," he said.
Lawyer Md Yunos Shariff, who appeared for Mohamad Ali, confirmed the bail and conditions.
He did not object to the prosecution's suggestion for a joint trial of the cases in the Shah Alam and Melaka courts.
Elesabet then allowed the prosecution's application and set Aug 14 for the next mention.
