TAWAU: An education officer claimed trial at the Special Corruption Court here today to receiving a RM5,000 cash bribe from a contractor in 2020.
Abdul Samad Amara, 44, pleaded not guilty before judge Abu Bakar Manat.
Based on the facts of the case, at the time of the incident, the accused was in charge of the Tawau Education Office infrastructure and development unit for repair and maintenance works at SK Balung here.
The repair project was worth a total of RM223,247.
Samad was accused of receiving a bribe of RM5,000 on Sept 11 last year from Mohammad Soleh Abu Bakar, who owned MS Construction & Engineering Consortium.
The company secured the project.
Samad was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with imprisonment for up to two years or a fine, or both.
Sabah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Nurul Izzati Sapifee asked for bail of RM5,000 to be set.
She also asked that the accused be ordered to report to the MACC every two months, surrender his passport and be prohibited from approaching prosecution witnesses.
The accused, however, in his appeal, asked the court to impose a lower bail as he was currently on study leave at a local university.
Samad also said that he has to support his wife and three children.
The court set bail at RM5,000 with a deposit of RM3,000 and a local surety. It also set June 3 for document submission.