Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director of project management, Syed Afendy Ali Syed Abid Ali, was charged in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today with nine counts of corruption and nine counts of money-laundering, involving RM4.4 million.

Syed Afendy Ali, 54, however, pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges.

On the first charge, Syed Afendy Ali, then DBKL deputy director of finance (head of development and privatisation division), was alleged to have accepted a bribe for one Rodziah Abd Samad, 54, in the form of a three-storey shop-house unit at the Danau Lumayan Trade Centre, Jalan Danau Lumayan, Bandar Tun Razak, worth RM930,000, from Danau Lumayan Sdn Bhd.

The offence was allegedly committed at the office of the development and privatisation division head, finance division, DBKL on March 2, 2009.

The charge was made under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which provides for a term of imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the value of bribe involved, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

On the second to ninth counts, Syed Afendy Ali, then director of economic planning and development coordination department (JPEPP), DBKL, was charged with accepting assets for four individuals in the form of eight condominium units at Suasana Lumayan Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Bandar Tun Razak, each valued at RM249,990, from Danau Lumayan.

The offences were allegedly committed at the office of the DBKL JPEPP director in Kuala Lumpur between Sept 6, 2013 and Oct 16, 2014.

The charges were made under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provides an imprisonment for up to two years, or with fine, or both, on conviction.

Syed Afendy Ali was also charged with nine counts of money-laundering, involving RM1.5 million.

On the first to the third counts, he was alleged to have received RM1,650,000 through six cheques which were deposited into the account of Messrs Wong-Choi & Mohd Nor and a joint account belonging to him and Rodziah, in proceeds obtained from unlawful activities at CIMB Bank Berhad, Taman Mutiara Cheras, and Raja Laut Maybank branch in Kuala Lumpur between March 27, 2012 and Dec 6, 2012.

On the fourth to the sixth count, Syed Afendy Ali was charged with using RM582,500, through three cheques belonging to Messrs. Wong-Choi & Mohd Nor, which were proceeds obtained from unlawful activities, to pay for the purchase of three condominium units at Astana Lumayan, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, at CIMB Bank Berhad, Taman Mutiara Cheras on March 14, 2013.

For the seventh to ninth charges, Syed Afendy Ali was charged with using RM767,500, through three cheques belonging to Messrs Wong-Choi & Mohd Nor, which were obtained from unlawful activities, for payment of commission to one Goh Wai Shim, purchase of a shop lot and tax to the Malaysian Inland Revenue Board at the same place between Feb 4 and March 14, 2013.

All the nine charges were made under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money-Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act (Amlatfa) 2001, which provides a fine not exceeding RM5 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if found guilty.

Deputy public prosecutor Aida Adhha Abu Bakar, who prosecuted, offered bail of RM1.5 million for corruption charges and RM500,000 for charges under Amlatfa in one surety.

However, Syed Afendy Ali's lawyer, M Athimulan, requested for a lower bail as the bank accounts of his client and family members were now frozen.

Judge Allaudeen Ismail then allowed Syed Afendy Ali bail of RM1 million in one surety on all charges and ordered him to also surrender his passport to the court.

However, following an appeal by Syed Afendy Ali, Allaudeen allowed him to pay RM400,000 today and the remaining before Sept 14. He set Oct 13 for mention.

Syed Afendy Ali, when appealing for a lower bail, said he had been in the civil service for 30 years and would not flee.

"I also have nothing, not even land titles. I am an only child and since I was arrested, I have also lost my close friends.

"Two of my children are still studying, one will be sitting for the Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia, and another, in first year of university and sponsored by the Public Services Department, but the sponsorship has been frozen.”

- Bernama