Malaysiakini journalist B Nantha Kumar was charged this morning at the Shah Alam Sessions Court under the MACC Act.
The 42-year-old senior journalist pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 16(a)(A) of the Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of no less than five times the amount of the alleged bribe.
Nantha, known for exposing migrant worker syndicates, denied claims that he had accepted a RM20,000 bribe from a Pakistani agent. According to the charge, he allegedly received the money at the Concorde Hotel in Shah Alam at 11:45 pm on 28 February as an inducement to remove and refrain from publishing articles on the Malaysiakini news portal about migrant syndicates.
The prosecution requested bail to be set at RM20,000, arguing that Nantha posed a flight risk given the white-collar nature of the alleged offence. Deputy Public Prosecutor Alis Izzati Azurin Mohd Rusdi further urged the court to impose conditions to prevent him from interfering with witnesses and publishing articles that could prejudice the case.
In response, defence counsel P. Purshotaman appealed for a lower bail of RM5,000, highlighting Nantha’s reputation as an award-winning journalist committed to exposing migrant syndicates. “He risked his life to expose these syndicates—this was a national service,” the lawyer argued, adding that Nantha was prepared to clear his name in court.
Judge Nasir Nordin set bail at RM10,000 with one surety and ordered Nantha to surrender his passport. Additionally, he must report to the nearest MACC office once a month. The case is scheduled for mention on 23 April.
Nantha was escorted out of the courtroom as his wife and legal team arranged for his bail. Malaysiakini managing editor Ng Ling Fong and other colleagues attended the hearing in a show of support. The news portal covered Nantha’s bail amount and reiterated its belief in his innocence.
“We stand by our journalist and maintain that he is innocent until proven guilty,” Ng told reporters outside the court.
Nantha was released after posting bail around midday. Malaysiakini has since launched an internal inquiry, pledging to make its findings public. Pending the results of an independent panel review, the journalist has been suspended with full benefits.
The MACC initially detained Nantha on the night of 28 February. The next morning, the Magistrates Court approved a four-day remand, after which he was released on 4 March.