The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed an application by former Federal Territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to set aside an order for him to surrender his passport by increasing his bail amount.

Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, in dismissing the application, upheld the RM500,000 bail imposed on him by the Sessions Court, and for him to surrender his passport pending the disposal of his case.

In his decision, Nazlan said the Putrajaya MP could apply for temporary return of the passport if he had to travel overseas.

“The bail of RM500,000 and the additional condition to surrender his passport to the court is upheld,” he said.

Tengku Adnan's lawyer Tan Hock Chuan had earlier said that his client had to travel often to Australia to visit his daughters studying there, and also to Indonesia for business.

Tan said Tengku Adnan suggested that his bail amount to be increased from RM500,000 to RM1 million, and was also prepared to report himself at the MACC office every month if needed.

“My client and his wife often visit their children in Australia. My client is also no longer working with the government, and has to handle his business overseas. He is also not a flight risk and has given his cooperation to MACC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tengku Adnan maintained his not guilty plea to accepting a bribe, and an alternative charge of accepting an RM1 million bribe allegedly for approving a development related ratio application for land in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

He was charged with corruptly receiving for himself RM1 million from Tan Eng Boon via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd, which had been deposited into a CIMB Bank account belonging to him.

The deed was made as a reward for himself for approving an application by Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to raise the plot ratio pertaining to development at Lot 228, Jalan Semarak in Kuala Lumpur.

He was charged under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act with committing the offence at the Putra World Trade Centre branch of CIMB Bank Berhad, Jalan Tun Ismail, on Dec 27, 2013.

He faces imprisonment for up to 20 years and fined not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe if found guilty.

He also faces an alternative charge, in his capacity as then-Federal Territories minister, to have received the money from Tan in connection with his official duties.

The offence, under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which provides a jail term of up to two years or with fine or both, was committed at the same place, time and date.

The court set Feb 28 for mention.

- Bernama