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A FORMER non-governmental organisation (NGO) member and journalist pleaded not guilty to three charges of accepting a bribe of RM36,824.50 and one charge of forging documents relating to the promise of the title 'Datuk Seri' at the Melaka State Honours Conferment Ceremony three years ago.
Nurfateha Othman, 44, made the plea before Judge Elesabet Paya Wan during proceedings at the Melaka Hospital, as the accused was undergoing treatment and admitted to the ward.
The accused is charged with accepting a bribe from a businessman as an inducement to secure the title when she had no authority to grant it.
For the first charge, she allegedly received RM25,559.50 via online transactions from a bank account belonging to the businessman's wife's company between Nov 23, 2022, and Nov 23, 2023.
The second and third charges involve receiving RM2,440 between Dec 13, 2022, and June 1, 2023, and RM8,825 between Dec 28, 2022, and Nov 2, 2023, from the personal account of the same woman.
All of the acts were allegedly committed at a bank in this state, and the charges were brought under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
If convicted, the accused faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a minimum fine of five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
In addition, Nurfateha was also charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code for providing a false document, namely the Melaka State Honorary Award Letter 2023, to the businessman in question in September 2023 with the intent to defraud, when no actual award was made.
The section provides for a prison sentence of up to seven years and a fine if convicted.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharina Farhana Nor Sa'ari, while the accused was not represented.
Judge Elesabet then ordered the accused to be sent to Hospital Permai, Johor for observation to obtain a written certificate from the Medical Director of the Psychiatric Hospital regarding the accused's condition.
No bail was granted for the accused, who is also a former journalist and part-time photographer, and the case was set for mention on February 23. – January 20, 2026