SHAH ALAM (Dec 8): Azman Nasrudin, a Perikatan Nasional member of Parliament, has been charged with abetting corruption involving RM400,000 in connection with a Kedah cattle-farming project.
Azman, 53, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial when the charge was read out to him on Monday before Sessions Court judge Datuk Nasir Nordin. He is a party member of Bersatu and represents Padang Serai in the Dewan Rakyat.
He was accused of conspiring with Amar Assuat Abu Bakar to commit a crime under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.
Amar Assuat was charged with receiving the RM400,000 from businessman Hassanaim Fauzi as a reward for assisting him in obtaining a joint venture beef cattle feedlot project at the Kedah Agro Feedlot Farm from Kedah Agro Holdings Bhd.
Azman’s alleged role was abetting Amar Assuat by directing the chief executive officer of Kedah Agro to issue the letter of offer to Hassanaim for the project. His charge was framed under Section 28(1)(c) of the MACC Act 2009, read together with Section 16(a)(A) of the same Act.
Section 28(1)(c) states that any person who abets or is engaged in a criminal conspiracy to commit any offence under this Act, commits such offence and shall on conviction be liable to the punishment provided for such offence.
Prosecutors alleged Azman committed the offence at Section 9, Bandar Baru Bangi, on June 23, 2020.
Amar Assuat, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty to two charges of soliciting and receiving RM400,000 in gratification from Hassanaim in relation to the project. The charges against Amar Assuat were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
He was accused of committing the offences at Section 9, Bandar Baru Bangi, between June 20, 2020 and June 23, 2020.
A person convicted under Section 16 for receiving or giving bribes can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Their bail was set at RM75,000 with one surety for each accused, and the court ordered for their passports to be impounded until the disposal of the case.
The court fixed Jan 17 next year for mention.
Lawyers N Surendran, Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif, and Nizamuddin Hamid represented Azman, while R Yogananthan appeared for Amar Assuat.
Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin prosecuted for the government.