KUALA LUMPUR: A former chief executive officer of an automotive institute was charged with soliciting a RM5mil bribe to help a company secure a training and work placement programme.
Datuk Mohamad Madani Sahari, 56, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to the charge of soliciting the bribe from a 37-year-old man as an incentive to secure a RM24mil programme from Syarikat A2Z Technology Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii).
Bernama reported that the offence was allegedly committed at the A2Z Technology Sdn Bhd office at Solaris Dutamas here between 11am and 3pm in May 2021.
The charge under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 provides a jail term of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.
Judge Suzana Hussin allowed an application for bail to be tied to the RM300,000 that was imposed earlier on the accused by the Shah Alam Sessions Court.
Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How said the accused would be charged again in the same court with money laundering on May 10 and in the Alor Star Sessions Court on May 24.
The prosecution would also apply for all cases to be tried together at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, Law added.
Lawyer Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed appeared for Mohamad Madani.
On April 14, Mohamad Madani was charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with accepting a bribe of RM5mil from an individual through a bank account as a reward for helping a company secure a contract worth RM12mil.
