Kuala Lumpur: A public university professor pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court, here, today, to two counts of accepting bribes, amounting to RM5,071, allegedly committed two years ago.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Rifqi Md Zain, 48, is accused of abusing his position as the principal of a university residential college to receive bribes of RM2,000 and RM3,071, on May 24 and June 2, 2023. The bribes were allegedly accepted as an inducement to assist Light Green Enterprise in securing a contract to supply and deliver collared T-shirts, lanyards, mufflers, and ziplock bags for residential college students during the 2023-2024 session.

The charges against Ahmad Rifqi were framed under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009. MACC prosecuting officer Mohd Aliff Shahruzaman and deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin represented the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyers Mohd Faizi Che Abu and Yusfarizal Yussoff.

Earlier in the court proceedings, Mohd Aliff proposed bail at RM15,000 in one surety with additional conditions, including the surrendering of the accused’s international passport, monthly reporting to the nearest MACC office, and refraining from disturbing prosecution witnesses. In response, Mohd Faizi requested the court to set bail at RM5,000 and to waive the condition of surrendering the passport, citing the accused’s need for frequent international travel for academic purposes.

Mohd Faizi argued that the accused posed no flight risk, emphasizing his long-standing position as a professor at a local university and his voluntary appearance in court, which indicated no intention of fleeing. However, Muaz Ahmad maintained that the prosecution’s conditions did not infringe on the accused’s right to liberty, as he could apply to retrieve his passport when necessary.

After considering the arguments, Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin set bail at RM10,000 in one surety and imposed the additional conditions requested by the prosecution. The court scheduled May 13 for mention.