KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): A former chief assistant secretary of the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry has been charged with soliciting RM2 million and receiving bribes in exchange for awarding tenders since February last year.

Shahrulzaman Jaafar, 43, pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today.

He is charged with soliciting the RM2 million from a Wan Nor Izham Wan Nashar as an inducement to award tenders to Endona Corporation Sdn Bhd, Qamari Consultancy Sdn Bhd and Borneo Natura Sdn Bhd for delivery and supply of fertilisers worth more than RM118 million.

Shahrulzaman also is charged with receiving RM85,000 personally from Wan Nor Izham to award the tenders to the aforementioned companies.

These took place from between February and August last year.

Shahrulzaman, who currently is a southern National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) director, is also accused of receiving RM40,000 from a certain Hazrul Hisham Hassan as an inducement to award the same tender to KIIK Resources Sdn Bhd worth more than RM37 million in August last year.

He is alleged to have committed offences under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries 20 years' jail and a fine of up to five times the value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if convicted.

Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi set RM60,000 bail and ordered the accused to surrender his passport until the end of the case.

Initially, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Wan Shaharudin Wan Ladin asked the court to impose RM100,000 bail on Shahrulzaman.

 However, Shahrulzaman’s counsel Azizul Shariman Mat Yusuf pleaded for minimum bail of RM20,000.

The court has set Feb 24 for the next case mention.