An employee of The Star newspaper was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this morning with receiving RM20,000 in bribes.

M Youganesparan was accused of receiving the money from former Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGVH) chief executive officer Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah at The Intermark Hotel, Jalan Tun Razak about 9.15pm on May 30 this year.

According to news reports, The 54-year-old assistant manager of the editorial department pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him before Judge Madihah Harullah here today.

The money was allegedly an inducement for the accused to “assist” Mohd Emir, who had been investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Youganesparan was charged under Section 16a(B) of the MACC Act 2009, which is punishable under Section 24 of the same Act which carries a jail term of not exceeding 20 years or a fine of RM10,000 or five times the bribe amount, whichever is higher.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Syakimah Ibrahim asked for no bail to be offered to the accused as the offence is a non-bailable one.

“However, if the court wants to offer bail, it should not be less than RM50,000 with one surety,” she was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Youganesparan’s lawyer G Shankar pleaded for a lower bail as his client is the sole breadwinner to his family.

The court set bail at RM30,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to surrender his passport.