Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, 56, claimed trial when the charge was read to him before judge Rosli Ahmad today, the New Straits Times reported.

The charge was framed under Section 16(b)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 for giving a bribe as an inducement or reward for any act in relation to their principal’s affairs.

Ranjeet was accused of committing the offence at Maybank’s Dataran Maybank branch on Jalan Maarof in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, on July 2, 2012.

The funds were said to be channelled via Noorusa’adah Othman to Zafer Hashim, BPMB’s president and group managing director, for him to approve the loan application by V Telecoms Bhd.

The purpose of the RM400 million loan was stated as “to develop a coastal network which consists of a fibre optic network around Peninsular Malaysia”.

Ranjeet was also charged with using a forged document – a joint completion guarantee involving V Telecoms and Huawei Technologies Bhd dated June 21, 2012 – to fulfil the loan conditions.

He was accused of using the forged document at BPMB’s office on Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 29, 2012.

He pleaded not guilty to that charge as well, made under Section 471 of the Penal Code for knowingly using a fake or forged document.

Rosli set bail at RM150,000 with one surety and fixed March 30 for case mention.

The judge also ordered Ranjeet to surrender his passport and report to the MACC headquarters once a month until the case concludes.

Deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan appeared for the prosecution while Ranjeet was represented by lawyer Gobinath Mohanna.