Court hears charges against former UKM director accused of RM3.12m contract abuse

Datuk Prof Muhammad Hussin, a former director at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing his position to secure employment contracts worth RM3.12 million for QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd, allegedly influencing the Koperasi Siswazah Bangi Berhad board to approve the contracts.

Charged under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, he faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.

The court set bail at RM80,000 and imposed conditions including surrendering his passport, with the case scheduled for mention on November 12.

SHAH ALAM, Oct 15 — A former director of an education centre at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to two charges of abusing his position to secure employment contracts worth RM3.12 million in 2022.

Datuk Prof Muhammad Hussin, 64, a retiree, entered the plea after the charges were read out before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.

According to the charges, Muhammad, a member of Koperasi Siswazah Bangi Berhad (KSBB), allegedly abused his position to secure two contracts worth RM1.2 million and RM1.92 million respectively to manage the Master of Education programme through UKM’s Faculty of Education.

He was accused of influencing KSBB board members at two separate meetings to approve the appointment of QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a company in which he purportedly had an interest, as the programme operator.

The alleged offences took place on Feb 26 and June 25, 2022, at Kolej Keris Mas, UKM, and Hotel Tenera in Bangi, respectively.

Muhammad was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694), which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of the gratification involved, if it can be valued or is monetary in nature, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Muaz Ahmad Khairuddin proposed bail of RM300,000, with additional conditions requiring the accused to report to the MACC office, surrender his passport to the court and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.

Defence counsel Muhammad Wafi Anwar Roslan sought a lower bail of RM50,000, citing his client’s financial circumstances, including his responsibility for two wives and nine children, and his reliance on a monthly pension as his sole source of income.

“The accused also suffers from synovial sarcoma and heart disease, both of which require regular treatment. I also urge the court not to impose the passport surrender condition, as his second wife and child are in Indonesia,” he said.

The court set bail at RM80,000 and ordered the accused to surrender his passport and refrain from interfering with prosecution witnesses.

The case was fixed for mention on Nov 12. — Bernama

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马来西亚国民大学前董事拿督穆罕默德胡辛教授对滥用职权为 QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd 获取价值 312 万令吉的雇佣合同的指控表示不认罪，据称影响 Koperasi Siswazah Bangi Berhad 董事会批准这些合同。

他被控违反马来西亚反贪污委员会法令，如果罪名成立，将面临最高 20 年的监禁。

法庭将保释金定为 8 万令吉，并附加条件，包括交出护照，该案定于 11 月 12 日再次开庭审理。

莎阿南，10月15日讯——马来西亚国立大学（UKM）某教育中心前主任今日在莎阿南地方法庭对两项滥用职权获取2022年价值312万令吉雇佣合同的指控表示不认罪。

64岁的退休人士拿督穆罕默德·侯赛因教授在法官拿督莫哈末·纳西尔·诺丁面前听取控状后认罪。

根据指控，穆罕默德是万宜学生合作社（KSBB）的成员，他涉嫌滥用职权，通过马来西亚国立大学教育学院获得了两份分别价值 120 万令吉和 192 万令吉的合同，以管理教育硕士课程。

他被指控在两次不同的会议上影响 KSBB 董事会成员，批准任命 QTech Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd（据称他持有该公司股份）为节目运营商。

据称，这些违法行为分别发生在 2022 年 2 月 26 日和 6 月 25 日，地点分别为马来西亚国立大学 Kolej Keris Mas 学院和万宜的 Hotel Tenera 酒店。

穆罕默德被控违反 2009 年马来西亚反贪污委员会法令（第 694 号法令）第 23(1) 条，该条规定最高可判处 20 年监禁，并处以至少相当于所涉贿赂金额五倍的罚款（如果该贿赂金额可以估价或属于货币性质），或 10,000 令吉，以较高者为准。

马来西亚反贪污委员会副检察官穆阿兹·艾哈迈德·凯鲁丁提议以30万令吉保释，并附加条件，要求被告向反贪污委员会办公室报到，向法庭交出护照，并不得干扰控方证人。

辩护律师穆罕默德·瓦菲·安瓦尔·罗斯兰请求将保释金降低至 5 万令吉，理由是他的当事人经济状况不佳，需要赡养两位妻子和九个孩子，并且依靠每月养老金作为唯一的收入来源。

“被告还患有滑膜肉瘤和心脏病，这两种疾病都需要定期治疗。此外，我还恳请法庭不要附加交出护照的条件，因为他的第二任妻子和孩子都在印度尼西亚，”他说。

法庭将保释金定为8万令吉，并命令被告交出护照，不得干扰控方证人。

该案定于11月12日再次开庭审理。——马新社

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