Kuala Lumpur:The defence team in the corruption case against former human resources minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan is pressing for an early trial date, emphasizing that the case has been under investigation since 2022.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Saravanan faces three charges of corruption involving RM1.097 million, related to the approval of foreign worker quotas. His lawyer, Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, requested the earliest possible trial date during a session in front of Sessions Court Judge Azrul Darus, arguing that the prosecution could still supply the pending documents before the trial begins.

The prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor P. Rubini, had already provided 22 sets of documents but acknowledged that more were needed, specifically mentioning Cabinet papers and memoranda. The prosecution has applied to obtain these documents from the Cabinet, with Rubini estimating that it would take at least a month to complete this process.

Judge Azrul has set the next mention of the case for November 3, when a trial date may be fixed. On August 28, Saravanan pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include allegations of receiving cash from Vectica Resources Sdn Bhd director Tan Teck Lim through intermediaries, as well as a cheque deposited into a company account, all intended as inducements for approving foreign worker quotas.

The charges fall under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.