KUALA LUMPUR (June 10): Bersatu’s Segambut branch deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad’s trial for corruption charges linked to the Jana Wibawa programme will begin on July 9, after it was postponed again on Monday.

The trial was initially scheduled to begin on May 27 but had been postponed to June 10.

At Monday’s proceedings before Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin, Adam Radlan’s lawyer Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam informed the judge that his team received the last bundle of case documents from the prosecution last week.

He informed Suzana that his team would need time to assess the documents so as to mount a strong defence for his client and asked for a postponement.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Fadhly Mohd Zamry did not object to the postponement.

Suzana then allowed it and set July 9 for the trial to commence, and warned that the court would not allow any more postponements.

Separately, Fadhly told the judge that they would be calling 47 witnesses to the stand for the prosecution.

On Feb 21 last year, Adam Radlan was charged with two counts of graft in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

In the first charge, he allegedly solicited a bribe amount of 3.5% to 7% of the total amount of a roadwork project worth RM47.8 million from Mat Jusoh Mamat, who is the managing director of MIE Infrastructure & Energy Sdn Bhd.

In the second charge, he allegedly received RM500,000 in his CIMB Bank account from Mat Jusoh, as an inducement for helping MIE secure a roadwork project which spans from Jalan Sg Adam to Kg Banat, Perlis.

On Feb 22, 2023, Adam Radlan was once again pressed with two graft charges, this time in the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

In the first charge, he allegedly received RM2 million in bribes from a person by the name of Lian Tan Chuan, for helping Lian’s company Nepturis Sdn Bhd to obtain a contract in the Northern Klang district for its head office from the government, worth RM141 million.

The second charge alleges that Adam Radlan received RM2.1 million from Mat Jusoh for a roadwork project from Jalan Sg Adam to Kg Banat, Perlis, which cost RM47.8 million.

Then on Feb 28, Adam Radlan was charged with allegedly soliciting and asking for a bribe from Lian, purportedly to help Nepturis secure a contract for the Klang Utara district police headquarters project, worth RM141 million.

On Jan 11 this year, Suzana allowed the prosecution's application for a joint trial in her court for all the charges. This was an application made by the prosecution and was not objected to by the defence.

All charges are framed under Section 16(a)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, and punishable under Section 24 of the same Act, which carries up to 20 years’ jail, and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Jana Wibawa, or Program Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa, was mooted during the Perikatan Nasional administration, in which Bersatu was a component party.

The government of the day said the programme was set up to improve the capacity of Bumiputera contractors in the construction industry, as well as to expedite project execution to spur the nation’s economic recovery post Covid-19.