Saravanan pleads not guilty to receiving RM1.097m bribes

Former human resources minister M Saravanan pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this morning to three counts of receiving RM1,097,000 in bribes to approve foreign worker quotas for a company in 2022.

He was accused of receiving the monies in three separate payments as an inducement to approve TYKB Engineering Sdn Bhd’s application for 1,000 foreign worker quotas, in his capacity as the human resources minister.

He claimed trial to all charges, framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the MACC Act 2009, before judge Azura Alwi.

The charge sheets detailed that he received RM150,000 in cash on June 16 at Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resorts, as well as RM350,000 in cash and RM597,000 via cheque on July 7 at Jalan Telawi 3 in Bangsar and Maybank’s Jalan Klang Lama’s branch, respectively.

The funds he received via cheque were allegedly deposited into Big Seven Ventures Sdn Bhd’s Maybank account on the same day.

He was alleged to have received the monies from one Syed Amirul Syed Ahmad, who made the payment on behalf of Vectica Resources Sdn Bhd’s director Tan Teck Lim, who would approve TYKB’s application.

The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in jail, and a fine of not more than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Sept 29 for case management

Deputy public prosecutor Julaila Jamaludin suggested the court consider RM800,000 bail and confiscate Saravanan’s passport.

She also suggested two additional bail conditions that the court order the MIC deputy president to report himself to the nearest MACC office once every three months, and not to disturb the prosecution’s witnesses either directly or via a third party.

Saravanan’s lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent pleaded for bail to be set at a lower amount of RM300,000 and objected to the prosecution’s suggestion that the accused’s passport be confiscated.

“My client is not a flight risk as he is an MP who always attends parliamentary sittings.

“He is adamant to clear his name, and today he appeared in court, as summoned by the MACC, in proving his commitment to face the charges.

“He also needed his passport to travel to India, for regular medical check-ups at Apollo Hospital Chennai,” he said, adding that there is no possibility of Saravanan absconding.

The judge then ordered RM450,000 bail in one surety, the lawmaker to report to the MACC office once every three months, and not to disturb the prosecution witnesses.

The court also fixed Sept 29 for case management.

Yesterday, Saravanan told Malaysiakini that he had penned a letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over MACC’s “wild and baseless” allegations against him, in claiming that certain individuals were coerced into implicating him.

READ MORE: Saravanan confirms he will be charged, writes to PM that MACC 'coerced' witnesses

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