KUALA LUMPUR: A 57-year-old Youth and Sports Ministry official was today charged at the Sessions Court with 32 counts of misappropriating government funds totaling RM38 million and falsifying documents.
Otman Arsahd, the Ministry's finance division secretary, claimed trial to committing the offences under Sections 18 and 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which also involves four companies, at the National Sports Council office between May 2, 2012 till 18 November 2015.
Deputy public prosecutor Amir Nasruddin requested the court to impose a RM1 million dollar bail and also have Otman surrender his passport to the court.
Defence counsel Mohd Farid Abdul Aziz said RM1 million was an exorbitant amount and his client's accounts have been frozen, and that he has no other source of income.
"My client's family will be able to only raise RM100,000. The family has a three acre piece of land of which the grant can be used as bail."
Judge Allaudeen Ismail set bail at RM250,000 with two sureties, and instructed Otman to surrender his passport to the court along with the land grant.
Clad in a grey T-shirt and pants, Otman came to court with his wife and two children.
The case is fixed for mention on April 21.
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