KUANTAN: A senior officer of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to 13 counts of accepting bribes totalling RM28,000 from 2019 to last year.

Mohamad Sulhan Zainon, 51, who is Johor MMEA's Tanjung Sedeli Maritime Zone director, was allowed bail of RM10,000 in one surety by Judge Datuk Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain who set June 30 for mention.

He was charged with accepting the bribe from a company director as an inducement not to carry out inspections on ships.

Mohamad Sulhan was accused of committing the offence at a bank in Bukit Ubi, here between April 19, 2019 and Nov 27, 2020.

The charge, under Section 25(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, punishable under Section 25(2) of the same act, carries a maximum jail term of 10 years or a maximum fine of RM100,000 or both, upon conviction.

Mohamad Sulhan was represented by counsel Datuk Shukri Mohamed while Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin appeared for the prosecution.

Meanwhile, in the same court, Tanjung Sedeli Maritime Zone chief petty officer Mohd Rusdi Mohd Joha, 47, was fined RM4,500 after he pleaded guilty to three charges of accepting bribes amounting to RM3,000 last year.

-- BERNAMA