JOHOR BARU: A former Felcra area manager was charged in the Sessions Court here today with 33 counts of abuse of power to get a job at the subsidiary's land office for his sibling's company, two years ago.
The defendant, Azman Tassrip, 62, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read before Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim.
He was accused of using his position as area manager of Felcra Berhad Tebing Tinggi to obtain bribes by appointing his sibling's company as the contractor for a project worth RM55,650.80.
The contract was for the building of a set of wooden furniture at the Felcra office with a payment of RM2,000 on March 18, 2021.
He was also alleged to have given his sibling the contract to supply sewer culverts and to flatten an agricultural road at the Felcra office with a payment of RM7,000 on March 18 and 21, 2021.
He was also accused of obtaining bribes from a contracting company, in which his sibling held interests, for the supply of culverts as well as digging ditches at the Felcra office amounting to RM15,470. This was apparently done between May 5 and July 7, 2021.
Azman was also accused of using his authority and position to obtain bribes for his sibling's company to carry out the work of making and installing a gate at the entrance to Paya Lebar with a payment of RM5,400 on April 28.
He was also charged for appointing the company owned by his sibling to carry out cutting and levelling of the ground for a housing site at the Felcra office with a fee of RM14,000 on March 18 and 21, 2021.
Azman was also charged with using his position to appoint a contractor company in which his brother has an interest to carry out the work of hollowing out oil palm saplings at the Felcra office with a payment of RM6,890.80 between Feb 7 and June 14, 2021.
He also obtained a bribe for his brother to carry out the supply and installation of an iron gate with a payment of RM3,000 on June 17.
He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and faces punishment under Section 24(1) of the same Act.
If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of not more than 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
The prosecution was handled by MACC Prosecuting Officer, Zander Lim Wei Keong, while the accused was represented by lawyer Syahrul Syazwan Salehin.
The judge allowed the accused to be bailed at RM40,000 with one surety, in addition to having to handover his passport to the court.
The judge set Feb 20 as the date for the mention of the case and the submission of documents.