JOHOR BAHARU, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Three civil servants were charged in two sessions courts here today with committing corruption over the smuggling of sand to Singapore.

In the first, Customs officer Suhaimi Abdul Wahab, 36, and Abdul Ghani Hitam, 37, of the Johor Land and Mines Department, pleaded not guilty to receiving bribes of RM2,000 and RM500 respectively.

Suhaimi, who is attached to the Sultan Abu Bakar export complex in Gelang Patah, is alleged to have received the bribe from Sendry Ugi, 34, at a room at the Grand Blue Wave Hotel at 5.20pm on May 28 last year in order not to take action against five lorries that were used for smuggling sand to Singapore.

Abdul Ghani, is alleged to have received the RM500, said to be on behalf of one Ali Hafiz Naimat, 26, from Zacharias Kho at a room of the same hotel at 8.45pm on Sept 10 last year to expedite processing of a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) for a parcel of land in Sungai Lebam in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi.

The land is said to be used for sand mining activities.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ridzuan Abd Malik urged the court to set bail at RM10,000 for each of them saying the offence of corruption was a very serious matter.

However, counsel Rosli Kamaruddin, who is representing Suhaimi, asked for a lower bail for his client claiming Suhaimi had to support a wife and four children and also his father who had suffered a stroke.

In urging the court to set bail at RM5,000, Rosli further claimed that Suhaimi had given the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission his full cooperation in the investigations.

Counsel Aziz Shukor, representing Abdul Ghani, also urged the court to set bail at RM5,000 for his client as he (Abdul Ghani) faced three similar charges in another sessions court.

Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin set bail at RM5,000 in one surety for each of them and March 8 for re-mention of both cases.

In the other sessions court, Abdul Ghani was charged with receiving bribes totalling RM1,400 from Kho for the same purpose. The offences were allegedly committed at the SDS Cake House Sdn Bhd, Kota Tinggi on June 23, 2009 and Hotel Grand Blue Wave on Oct 15, 2009.

Also in this court, Md Noor Md Yatim, 54, a Customs officer from the Marine Support Services branch in Tanjung Surat, Kota Tinggi, was charged with receiving a RM2,000 bribe from Wong Yun Fui, 32, at the same hotel at 6.40pm on Sept 9 last year.

He is also alleged to have received another RM2,000 from Wong at Maybank Berhad in Taman Tiram Baru, Ulu Tiram at 8.30pm on Jan 18.

The bribes were an inducement not to take any action against a barge used by one Ong Chee Boon, 40, to smuggle sand to the city-state.

Judge Aliman Musri set bail at RM5,000 for Abdul Ghani and March 8 for re-mention of his case and RM8,000 bail for Md Noor and April 26 to hear the case involving him (Md Noor).

All three accused posted bail.