Judge Rozina Ayob, who has been presiding over the case, announced that she will be transferred on Aug 15, and a new judge will take over the proceedings.

“The court has scheduled Aug 29 for the next mention of the case,” Rozina said during today’s proceedings.

Earlier, lawyer Chetan Jethwani, representing Faisal, noted that today’s mention was to finalise the list of lawyers appointed to represent the defendant.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) prosecuting officer Selvam T Armugom meanwhile informed the court that he would handle the case alongside Ikhwan Zaudi Nordin.

Faisal, 40, was charged with accepting a bribe from Izmir Abd Hamid as an inducement to use his influence to have Heitech Padu Bhd appoint Syarikat Rimba Merpati and Syarikat Per My Solutions as its marketing consultants.

Those companies were paid a commission of RM700,000 after Heitech Padu was awarded a RM33 million tender for the supply, rental, implementation, training, support and maintenance of security infrastructure by the Companies Commission of Malaysia.

Faisal is alleged to have committed the offence at an office lot in a shopping mall on Jalan Dutamas 1 here in March 2018.

The charge, framed under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009, carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 or five times the amount of the bribe, whichever is higher, upon conviction.