Vet Dept officer claims trial to 3 counts of bribery

JOHOR BARU: An assistant officer with the state Veterinary Department claimed trial to three counts of bribery amounting to RM3,500 at the sessions court today.

Mohd Razi Basar, 41, is alleged to have committed the offences between November 2013 to October 2014.

For the first charge, he is alleged to have received RM1,000 from Mohamad Zakariah Mohamad, manager of Better Z Enterprise at a bank in Johor Baru City Square on November 21, 2013.

The sum received was an inducement for him to approve the company as a supplier for construction materials for a cowshed project being undertaken by the department.

In the second and third charges, he is alleged to have received RM1,500 and RM1,000 on May 12 and October 10, 2014, respectively, from the same person.

The charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to two years, or a fine, or both upon conviction.

Sessions judge Mohd Fauzi Mohd Nasir set bail at RM5,000 with one surety for all three charges.

The court also fixed Jan 19 for mention.

The prosecution was represented by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Nur Syarina Raizan, while the accused was represented by defence counsel Tan Song Yan.

Last June, Mohd Razi claimed trial to four counts of bribery amounting to RM35,000.