A businessman with a Datuk title has been slapped with nine charges of soliciting and accepting bribes totalling RM12.8 million in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme.
Teo Wee Cheng, 65, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him in Mandarin before judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail, according to Berita Harian.
Teo, a director of SSH Furniture Sdn Bhd, is accused of soliciting RM3.9 million and accepting RM7.4 million in bribes, or 10% of two separate contracts awarded under Jana Wibawa. The contracts involved road upgrade works in Segamat and Kota Tinggi, Johor.
The bribes were alleged to have been kickbacks for helping Muar Usaha Bakti Sdn Bhd obtain the contracts, and TS Dynamic Construction Sdn Bhd to be made a sub-contractor for the Kota Tinggi project.
Teo is said to have committed the offence at Trimetro Development Sdn Bhd on Jalan Majidi Muar between July 2021 and June 2022.
He is also accused of accepting a RM1.5 million bribe in connection with two projects. The offence is alleged to have been committed at the Pagoh industrial area in Muar between August 2021 and November 2022.
The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which provides for up to 20 years in jail and a minimum fine of RM10,000 upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib prosecuted, while Teo was represented by Cains Tan.
Teo was granted bail of RM500,000 in one surety. The court ordered him to surrender his passport and set May 17 for case management and submission of documents. – FMT