KUANTAN: An assistant agriculture officer claimed trial at the Sessions Court here for two counts of receiving cash amounting to RM300 early this year.
The 39-year-old pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him by the court interpreter before judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain.
The accused, attached with the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) in Lipis, was charged with receiving cash from an individual whom he knew had connections with his official duties on two occasions.
He was alleged to have received RM200 at a restaurant in Kuala Lipis at about 4pm on Jan 5 this year followed by RM100 through a cash deposit machine from the same individual at Mentakab, Temerloh at about 1pm on Jan 7.
The offences under Section 165 of the Penal Code are punishable with a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Siti Sarah Zainal Abidin urged the court to set bail at RM5,000 but the accused who was not represented pleaded for a lower amount.
The accused told the court that he earned around RM2,000 a month and supported his wife along with their two children.
Ahmad Zamzani set bail at RM4,000 with one surety and imposed two additional conditions for the accused to report to the nearest MACC office every month starting May, and surrender his passport to the court until the case is over.
He fixed June 20 for mention.