A fomer Selangor executive councillor was charged with corruption today, making him the second Umno politician dragged to court this week.

Mohamed Sharif Jajang, 61 was charged at the Klang Sessions Court for abusing his government position to gain pecuniary advantage about seven years ago.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail at RM12,000 by judge Nor Afizah Hanum Mokhtar, who fixed the hearing for five days beginning Dec 6.

According to Bernama , Mohamed Sharif ( photo ) was accused of taking part in deliberations of the Sepang District Land Committee to approve a temporary occupation licence (TOL) in respect of a piece of land covering 1.2141ha in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi.

The licence was applied by Institut Kemahiran Memandu Sepang Sdn Bhd (Ikmas), a subsidiary of Konsortium Sepang Bhd in which he has an interest.

He is said to have committed the offence at the meeting room of the district officer at the Sepang District and Land Office on June 16 1997.

The charge, under Section 2 (1) of the (Essential Powers) Ordinance No. 22 1970 carries the maximum 14 years' jail or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both on conviction.

Mohamed Sharif, a former Dengkil state assemblyperson and the Sepang Umno division chief, did not contest in the recently concluded general election.

He was arrested this morning by Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) personnel.

Money politics

On Wednesday, former Perak state executive councillor and Tapah Umno division chief Azman Mahalan, 62, was charged with corruption at the Ipoh Sessions Court.

He was charged with offering bribes to prevent a party candidate from contesting against him in the 2001 Umno election.

He claimed trial and hearing has been fixed on Dec 13. He is out on a RM10,000 bail.

Azaman is accused of giving RM7,000 as inducement to a businessman in April 2001 to stop the latter from accepting any settlement from Tapah Umno Youth chief Pazli Abdullah Sani so that he would remain a bankrupt, thus disqualifying him from contesting against Azman.

Azman will be tried under Section 10(b)(aa) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 1997 and if convicted, he is liable to be jailed for up to 20 years and fined five times the value of the gratification, or a maximum of RM10,000, whichever is higher.

These two cases, following two other high profile arrests of a businessman and a cabinet member in February for corruption, indicates Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmaad Badawi's seriousness in fighting corruption.

The former Land and Cooperative Development Minister Kasitah Gaddam 56, was charged with corruption over a share transaction by the state-owned Sabah Land Development board involving up to RM40 million while former head of troubled steel giant Perwaja, Eric Chia, was charged with embezzling RM76.4 million.