Six public servants were separately charged in the Kuantan Sessions Court today with receiving bribes in connection with sand smuggling activities.

They are assistant land officers at the Kuantan Land and Mines Office Muhammad Nur Irwan Ramly and Rozlan Md Amin; Azmi Othman and Zakaria Mohamad, both general workers at the office and traffic policemen Ab Malek Sulaiman and Mahir Epandi Ahmad.

All pleaded not guilty.

Muhammad Nur, 31, is charged with receiving RM1,500 from Mat Seman Yusoff, through Azhar Ismail, at Restoran TB Corner Ikan Bakar, Tanjung Lumpur, about 9.55pm on July 13, 2009, as an inducement to cover the illegal removal of sand at the Batu Panching quarry here.

Judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain allowed him bail of RM5,000 in one surety and fixed March 15 for mention.

In the same court presided by judge Mohd Fadir Harun, Azmi, 40, is charged with receiving RM500, also from Mat Seman and through Azhar, at Restoran Zuzana Indera Mahkota here at 6.15pm on June 25 last year as an inducement not to obstruct operations to remove sand at Kampung Pasir Kemudi, Jalan Sungai Lembing, here.

Azmi is also charged with receiving RM850 from Mat Seman through Azhar in return for not obstructing the sand smuggling activities at the Batu Panching quarry.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at Restoran Ana Ikan Bakar Petai here at 7pm on July 8 last year.

Mohd Fadir Harun set bail at RM3,000 in one surety and fixed April 26 to hear the case.

Bribed not to obstruct sand removal

In judge Habibah Mohamed Yusof's court, Zakaria Mohamad, 49, was charged with two counts of receiving bribes, totalling RM800 from Mat Seman through Azhar as an inducement for him not to obstruct the removal of sand at Kampung Pasir Kemudi, Jalan Sungai Lembing, Kuantan.

The offence is allegedly committed at 11.30am on June 23, 2009, at Restoran Zuzana and on June 24, 2009 at 1.45pm at Restoran Bukit Bay Route, Kuantan.

Habibah set bail at RM4,000 in one surety and fixed Feb 25 for mention.

Meanwhile, Ab Malek, 42, from the Pahang police contingent is charged with three counts of receiving bribes, totalling RM1,500, from Teoh Ting Keong in return for not taking action against his sand lorries.

On the first and second count, he is alleged to have committed the offence is at Hotel Seri Malaysia Kuantan at 5.44pm on Nov 5, 2009, and at Hotel Megaview Kuantan at 3.39pm Dec 12 the same year.

On the third count, Ab Malek is alleged to have received RM500 from Teoh through Lance Corporal Irwan Ishak at the Hotel Seri Malaysia here at 12.30pm last Jan 19.

Judge Irwan Suaibon allowed Ab Malek bail of RM3,000 in one surety and set March 3 for mention.

Mahir Epandi, 49, who is Ab Malek's colleague, is charged with two counts of receiving bribes, totalling RM1,000, from Teoh, also in return for not taking action against his sand lorries.

The offence is allegedly committed at Hotel Seri Malaysia here at 5.16pm on July 10, 2009, and 11.20am on Aug 6 the same year.

Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali set bail at RMRM3,000 in one surety and fixed March 1 for mention.

Rozlan Md Amin, 56, is charged with receiving RM1,500 from Mat Seman through Ibrahim Othman, as an inducement to cover the sand smuggling activities at Batu Panching quarry Pahang at room 105 Hotel MS Garden Kuantan at 2.20pm on July 1

last year.

Judge Hassan Abdul Ghani allowed him bail of RM3,500 in one surety and set April 16 and 30 for trial.

Rozlan was also brought to the Temerloh Sessions Court today where he pleaded not guilty to a charge with receiving RM1,000 from Mat Seman for the same purpose at the McDonald's Restaurant, Mentakab, at 5pm last Jan 19.

Judge Azuar Che Yusoff set bail at RM2,500 in one surety and ordered the case to be transferred to the Kuantan Sessions Court for a joint trial.

All the accused posted bail. - Bernama