SHAH ALAM, Sept 1 — A businessman with the title "Datuk” who is believed to be the mastermind of a project tender cartel syndicate which monopolised government projects worth RM3.8 billion was charged at the Sessions Court today on 69 counts of falsifying documents.

Datuk Adly Kamarudin, 47, pleaded not guilty to all charges which were read out before Judge Rozilah Salleh.

According to all the charges, Adly was allegedly charged with abetting the falsification of 69 documents for various projects to deceive the Public Works Department (JKR).

The projects included road projects, construction of colleges and installing air-conditioning at several public universities, hospital buildings, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) staff houses and mechanical installation at the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) camps in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Bentong, Pahang.

Adly was charged with committing the offences at a bungalow in Bandar Baru Bangi around June 2019 to September 2020, under Section 468 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 109 of the same Act, which carries a maximum of seven years jail and a fine, upon conviction.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor, Ahmad Akram Gharib appeared for the prosecution while lawyer Md Yunos Shariff represented the accused.

The court allowed bail of RM500,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report himself to the nearest MACC office every month, as well as to surrender his passport to the court.

The court then set November 3 for mention.

On April 7, the media reported a project tender cartel was led by a businessman who has extraordinary wealth in terms of assets and cash besides owning several luxury cars, a luxury yacht and two helicopters.

The accused was arrested on April 4. — Bernama