Zairulnizam Rohani, 47, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him before judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman.

Zairulnizam was accused of accepting bribes totalling RM50,000 through three online transfers to his wife’s bank account, Berita Harian reported.

The payments were purportedly for helping the construction company secure the contract to build and complete a highway.

The offences were allegedly committed at a local bank branch in Taman Universiti on Dec 7, 12 and 13, 2023.

The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Siti Asmah Zainal Ariffin, handled the prosecution while the accused was represented by Salleh Tugimin.

Earlier, Asmah requested that the court set bail at RM30,000 for all three charges but the defence counsel appealed for a reduced amount, citing the accused’s financial and medical difficulties.

“My client has been suspended from work since July last year and has no income as his personal accounts have been frozen. Before his suspension, he earned RM11,000 per month.

“He was diagnosed with a blood clot in the brain in April 2023, which impairs his speech and memory.

“He also supports four children, who are in school or pursuing higher education. His mother suffers from a slipped disc,” Salleh said.

The judge allowed bail at RM25,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport to the court.

The accused was also ordered to report to the nearest MACC office once a month pending the conclusion of the case.

The court set Feb 24 for case mention and submission of documents.