Kuala lumpur: Former Defence Intelligence director-general Datuk Mohd Razali Alias was charged at the Sessions Court here today on three counts of accepting a bribe amounting to US$20,000 and receiving payments totaling RM64,600 for the purchase of an overseas flight ticket for his wife, two years ago. However, Mohd Razali, 60, pleaded not guilty to all three charges after they were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Razali is accused of corruptly accepting a bribe of USD20,000 from Sheikh Ahmad Nafiq Sheikh A. Rahman, at the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) between August and November 2024. The bribe was allegedly offered to approve the certificate of verification and acceptance of services under the procurement of maintenance and support services for the Cyber Defence Operations Centre (CDOC) system.
The charge is framed under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the bribe's value or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
For the second charge, Mohd Razali is accused of receiving a payment of RM26,800 for his wife's flight tickets between Kuala Lumpur and Malaga, Spain. The payment was allegedly made by Sheikh Ahmad Nafiq, whom the accused knew was connected to his official duties. This charge is framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment of up to two years' imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
In the third charge, Mohd Razali is accused of receiving a payment of RM37,800 for his wife's flight tickets between Kuala Lumpur and Estonia, also from Sheikh Ahmad Nafiq. This offence was allegedly committed at the same location on April 28, 2025, and is likewise framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code.
Judge Suzana set March 16 for case mention and allowed Mohd Razali to be released on bail of RM50,000 in one surety, ordering him to surrender his passport until the case is resolved. Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How proposed bail of RM200,000, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Counsel for the accused, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, argued that the bail amount was unreasonable, emphasizing the accused's cooperation with authorities and his willingness to attend all court proceedings.
Previously, 23 individuals, including high-ranking and senior officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces, were detained by the MACC in investigations related to alleged corruption and abuse of power involving procurement and the use of public funds.