AN education officer was charged in the Special Corruption Court in Tawau today with accepting a RM5,000 bribe from a contractor in September 2020.

Abdul Samad Amara, 44, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Judge Abu Bakar Manat.

Samad, who was at that time serving as the head of the infrastructure and development unit at the Tawau Education Office, was alleged to have received RM5,000 in cash from Mohd Soleh Abu Bakar, the owner of MS Construction and Engineering Consortium.

The cash was allegedly an inducement to favour the said company for a repair and maintenance contract worth RM223,000 at SK Balung, Tawau.

The incident was said to have taken place in a Perodua Myvi car in Taman Univilla on September 11, 2020.

The charge was made under section 165 of the penal code, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine or both.

The prosecution was conducted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuting officer Nurul Izzati Sapifee, while the accused was unrepresented.

The court set bail at RM5,000, with one surety. The judge set June 3 for next mention of the case. – Bernama, April 8, 2022.