KOTA KINABALU: A self-employed man claimed trial at the Special Corruption Court here for cheating a contractor involving RM150,000 over a school repair project in Beluran.
Sidu Edin, 58, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Jason Juga.
He was accused of cheating the 49-year-old man by tricking him into believing that he (Sidu) could help him (the victim) to obtain an emergency works repair project at SMK Terusan Sugut worth RM1.5 million.
This had induced the victim to hand over RM150,000 to the accused on March 26, 2019 at 8pm at a hotel here.
The offence under Section 420 of the Penal Code provides a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, and whipping and also liable with fine, upon conviction.
The judge fixed April 2, for pre-trial case management and allowed the accused to be released on bail of RM15,000 with RM3,000 to be deposited under a local surety.
The court also ordered Sidu to report to the MACC office once every two months.
He was also ordered to surrender his international passport to court and warned not to harass any prosecution witnesses pending the disposal of the case.
MACC Prosecuting officer Dzulkarnain Rousan Hasbi prosecuted, while Sidu was represented by counsel Mohd Fadzri Azham Zainudin.
Earlier, Dzulkarnain proposed RM15,000 and several bail conditions to be imposed on the accused.
Fadzri, however, asked for a lower bail saying among others that he had dependents to look after including two children.