SHAH ALAM (Sept 24 ): Tabung Haji's former chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani has claimed trial to three charges of accepting over RM300,000 in renovation cost for three properties.
Adi, who turns 55 this year, is charged with three counts of accepting valuable items without consideration, which he knew was inadequate, namely the cost of renovation of houses worth RM235,866.58 in Section 13, Shah Alam, RM50,698.74 in Kota Damansara and RM15,933.95 in Subang Jaya.
He is accused of receiving this from Thamsulazri Ismail who is a director of AG Reka Sdn Bhd. All three offences allegedly occured in March 2017.
The charges are framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code which concerns a public servant obtaining any valuable thing, without consideration, from a person concerned in any proceeding or business transacted by such public servant.
If found guilty, he faces imprisonment of a maximum of two years, a fine or both.
Adi pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to all three charges read before Sessions Court judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud.
The court set bail at RM50,000 with two sureties and additional conditions of surrendering his passport and not harassing potential prosecution witnesses.
Another condition is for Adi to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) once every three months, given his health condition.
"This is a non-bailable offence where the court has discretion to grant bail. The court will have to attach extra conditions to demonstrate [that] this is a serious offence," Awang said, adding that it was not to insinuate that the accused would run away but as an extra precaution that the person turns up in court.
Initially, Adi was set to be charged earlier this month, but proceedings had to be rescheduled as he was hospitalised for heart-related treatment.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin said that this was a non-bailable offence but left it to the court's discretion. He suggested bail at RM70,000.
Defence counsel Wan Azwan Aiman Wan Fakhruddin asked for a lower bail of RM30,000, given that his client has four children from the age of 12 to 25, all of whom are still schooling.
He added that his client was still under medication for his heart condition.
Furthermore, the lawyer added that this matter was investigated in 2018 and the MACC had sent a letter to him saying that they found no offence under the MACC Act.
He stressed that his client has always cooperated with the authorities even since 2018 and was not a flight risk.
It has to be noted that Thursday's charge is under the Penal Code.