KUALA LUMPUR: A Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director was today charged at the Sessions Court with 18 counts of accepting bribes and accumulating assets as well as obtaining illegal income of up to RM4.99 million in total.
Syed Afendy Ali Syed Abid Ali claimed trial to charges under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and the Penal Code.
Under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, Syed Afendy was accused of accepting a bribe for his wife, in the form of a shophouse that cost more than RM900,000.
If convicted, he faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe.
Syed Afendy was also slapped with another eight charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code for accumulating assets in the form of eight condominium units that cost a total of RM1.99 million.
If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to two years in jail or a fine.
He also faces nine charges under the Anti Money Laundering Act for accepting a total of RM3 million from illegal activities.
If convicted, Syed Afendy faces a jail term of up to 10 years, or fine of up to RM5 million, or both.
Sessions Court Judge Allaudeen Ismail set the bail amount at RM1 million with one surety and ordered for his passport to be surrendered. However, he allowed Syed Affendy to pay an initial RM400,000 of the bail today, with the balance of RM600,000 to be paid by next Wednesday.
Syed Afendy, who was represented by M Athimulan, arrived in court accompanied by his wife who was clad in a blue baju kurung and a turquoise headscarf.
Ahmad Akram Gharib and Aida Adhha Abu Bakar appeared for the prosecution.
The trial has been set to start in January next year, with the prosecution saying they will call 25 witnesses.
Syed Afendy can now be confirmed to be the “Datuk Seri” arrested by the MACC on August 16 to facilitate investigations into corruption, money laundering and abuse of power.
It was later reported that he was suspended from duty pending the probe by the anti-graft agency.
Syed Afendy took over the position of executive director this year, replacing Tan Keng Chok who retired from the post.
He has a background in accounting and finance.