On both charges, C Mahenthiran, 51, is alleged to have accepted RM200,000 from ice factory owner Wong Huey Tsyr, 51, as an inducement to help avoid action being taken and to cover up the worker’s death.
He was charged with committing the offence in front of a place in Taman Sri Ehsan here and in front of a bank in Kepong here on July 29 and Aug 3 last year.
The charge, under Section 16 (a) (A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24 (1) of the same Act, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Mahenthiran also pleaded not guilty to two alternative charges, framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code, with cheating Wong at the same place, time and date.
He was charged with prompting Wong to hand him the money by deceiving him into believing that he could help avoid action by police, the health ministry and the international trade and industry ministry over the worker’s death.
Selangor MACC prosecuting officer Aliff Shaharuzaman offered bail of RM50,000 for all the charges and applied for the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam sessions court, where there was another case involving the same investigation and witnesses.
Counsel MA Navamani, representing Mahenthiran, did not object to the prosecution’s application to transfer the case and asked the court to apply the same bail of RM40,000 as imposed by the sessions court there.
“Throughout the investigation, my client has cooperated with the authorities and the case today is related to the case in the Shah Alam sessions court and his passport has also been handed over to the court,” the lawyer said.
Judge Suzana Hussin allowed the accused to apply the same bail of RM40,000 and ordered the case to be transferred to the Shah Alam sessions court. She set March 25 for mention.
On Feb 25, Mahenthiran pleaded not guilty in the Shah Alam sessions court to 16 charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM630,000 to cover the death of a Bangladeshi worker due to Covid-19.
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