Former Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretary-general Mohd Arif Ab Rahman and his son Ahmad Zukhairi Mohd Arif, 35, were today charged with corruption in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur.

The recently retired Arif claimed trial to the charge of abetting his son to accept a S$200,000 bribe (RM628,000) from a solar electric company.

This for the company to provide solar electricity devices on four remote islands near Sandakan, at a cost of RM57.5 million.

Arif was charged with abetting his son in accepting the amount at the Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur, in August last year in respect of the ministry's hybrid solar power project.

He was accused of receiving the money from Wazlina Sdn Bhd director Mohd Sofian Mohd Salleh, for its associate company Erazmaz (M) Sdn Bhd, to obtain the project via direct negotiation.

Arif's son Ahmad Zukhairi is charged with accepting the money on behalf of Arif at Lake Club between 4pm and 7pm on that day.

Both father and son were charged under Section 16(a)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, and they could be jailed up to 20 years, or fined five times the amount of bribery, or both, if found guilty. 

DPP S Thangavelu had asked for bail in the amount of RM1 million but Arif's lawyer Salehuddin Saidin pleaded for the bail to be set at RM100,000.

The DPP also asked for a joint trial to be held at the same court, as Ahmad Zukhairi is due to face another three counts of graft charges at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam this afternoon. 

Salehuddin complained to the court that his clients were not allowed to contact their lawyers when they were first remanded last month. 

"As a result of this, our clients were remanded for the full seven days (in Putrajaya), and at the second request during remand, they (MACC) finally informed us and as a result, another four days remand was allowed. We want to put on record our objection to such practice by the MACC," he said. 

Salehuddin further objected to the high bail amount offered, citing his clients assets had been frozen. He stated another corruption case involving an amount of RM30 million, where a bail of RM250,000 was allowed. 

Sessions judge Azura Alwi fixed bail at RM200,000 with one surety each. She also ordered both the accused to surrender their passports.

“On the complaints, I suggest you know where to take it up,” Azura said. 

Arid was seen massaging his son's back, while in the dock, throughout the proceedings. 

Besides Salehuddin, the other lawyers are Shamsul Sulaiman and Afifuddin Hafifi.

Meanwhile at the Shah Alam Sessions Court, Ahmad Zukhairi faced three counts of corruption to which he claimed trial.

On the first charge, he was accused of soliciting from Eramaz a payment of two per cent or approximately RM1.2 million for the company to secure the project through direct tender.

He also faced two counts of receiving RM70,000 and RM50,000 respectively from Syarikat HH Global Construction Sdn Bhd for it to obtain the project to construct and complete Dataran Rekreasi and other related works at Persisiran Tasik Pengkalan Gawi, Tasik Kenyir.

He was accused of committing the offences in Subang Jaya and Shah Alam between March 17, and Aug 18, last year.

The Shah Alam Sessions court allowed the MACC application to transfer all the cases to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court where the court fixed March 20 for mention.