After having been charged on two previous occasions, Penang Zakat (ZPP) chief executive officer (CEO) Azman Abdul Samat today faced two more charges for corruption in the Sessions Court in Butterworth.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to both charges.

On the first count, Azman, as Zakat Penang CEO Grade 1 and general manager, was charged with accepting a bribe for himself via a Hong Leong Bank cheque for RM5,000 from Mohd Wardi Ramli, the proprietor of MW Global Trading, which had business dealings with ZPP.

He allegedly committed the offence at his office, No 4, Jalan Perda Selatan, Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam in January 2014.

On the second count, he was charged with accepting a bribe via a Hong Leong Islamic cheque for RM4,000 from Ashri Ismail, the owner of AI Global Trading, which had business dealings with ZZP.

Azman, 50, is alleged to have committed the offence at the same place between December 28 and 30, 2016.

He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, if convicted.

Earlier, DPP Ahmad Ghazali Muhamad Nadzri from the MACC offered the accused bail of RM10,000 in one surety, but his counsel M Rajiven pleaded for the amount to be reduced to RM4,000.

“My client has served ZPP for 22 years and has been CEO for 17 years. He has six school-going children, besides supporting his wife and stepmother,” he said, adding that his client had also been charged before this.

Judge Sitarun Nisa Abdul Aziz allowed the accused bail of RM5,000 in one surety for all the charges and set Dec 29 for the case mention.

On July 19, Azman was charged with three counts of corruption and two days later, he was slapped with another corruption charge.

― Bernama