Kuala lumpur: Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (JUPEM) director-general Datuk Hazri Hassan was charged in the Sessions Court here today with two counts of abusing his position to obtain bribes totaling more than RM130,000 involving funds from the Land Surveyors Board (LJT). Hazri, 57, who is also LJT chairman, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out before Judge Suzana Hussin.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the first charge alleges that Hazri used his position as LJT chairman to obtain a bribe of RM30,201.16 for his own benefit. This offense is connected to his involvement in an LJT board meeting which discussed his participation in the 14th Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in New York, from August 4 to 9, 2024.

The second charge accuses him of using his position to obtain a bribe of RM105,914 for personal benefit. This is related to his involvement in an LJT board meeting about his participation in meetings in Madinah and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from January 29 to February 4, 2025. Both alleged offenses took place at the LJT board meeting room, Wisma LJT, Pusat Bandar Melawati, on August 3, 2024, and at a hotel here on December 31, 2024.

The charges fall under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and are punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act. If convicted, Hazri faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib informed the court that both parties had held discussions and agreed to a bail amount of RM70,000 in one surety. The court also required the surrender of the accused's passport. 'Although this is a non-bailable offense, it is within the court's discretion to grant bail. We have discussed the matter with the defense and have no objections,' he said.

Lawyer Muhammad Amin Othman, along with lawyer Amirah Batrisyia Adam Khan, represented the accused and requested that the RM70,000 bail be paid in two installments-RM50,000 immediately and RM20,000 on Friday. Judge Suzana accepted this request, set the bail at RM70,000 in one surety, and ordered Hazri to surrender his passport. The court scheduled June 4 for the mention of the case.