JOHOR BARU, June 2 — The former mayor of the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today, to 12 counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM1.55 million, between 2020 and 2021.

Datuk Adib Azhari Daud, 63, is alleged to have received money for himself as a reward for helping two men secure various projects in the MBJB area, through another individual, between RM10,000 and RM250,000, through 12 different transactions.

The projects included annual roadside landscape maintenance work for 28 months; annual maintenance work for pruning trees for 24 months; and maintenance work of the centralised sewage treatment plant and flood mitigation of Sungai Segget for 24 months.

Also the construction of Jalan Banjaran; work to repair collapsed slopes at Flat Sri Orkid and Bukit Tropika Park; and annual maintenance work of the mechanical and electrical system of flood control pumps of Sungai Sengkuang, Sungai Chat and Sungai Segget for 24 months.

The offences were allegedly committed at Jalan Serama 7, Larkin, between June 26, 2020, and Aug 6, 2021, and the charges were framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a prison sentence of not more than 20 years and a fine of not less of five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

Judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman allowed the accused bail of RM120,000 for all charges, in two Malaysian sureties, with the additional conditions of reporting to the Johor MACC office once a month, surrendering his passport to the court and not disturbing prosecution witnesses until the disposal of the case.

The court fixed July 3 for remention and submission of documents.

The prosecution was handled by MACC deputy public prosecutor Natrah Fariha Rahmat, while the accused was represented by lawyer Azrul Zulkifli Stork. — Bernama