KOTA KINABALU: An assistant chief secretary of a government agency has claimed trial to a total of 29 corruption charges involving over RM1.29mil worth of bribes on Tuesday (March 15).

The 50-year-old, Abel Ongkunik, was accused of committing the offences when he was the Sabah Ports and Harbour Department director in 2017 and 2018.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges before Special Corruptions Court judge Abu Bakar Manat.

In the charge sheet, he was accused of receiving bribes from two companies to, among others, approve their applications to conduct ship towing works between August 2017 and July 2018.

The court set RM100,000 bail and ordered that his passport be surrendered to the court until the case is over.

The court also set April 29 for case mention.

Nartiah F. Mirchelle Sambatan from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecuted while Abel was represented by counsel P.J Perira.

Source : The Star