KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Former Felda Global Ventures director Datuk Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashid pleaded not guilty today to two counts of accepting bribes worth RM230,000.

According to The Star Online portal, the former Kota Tinggi MP claimed trial after the charges were read out to him at the Sessions Court in Johor Baru this morning.

In the first charge, he is accused of taking RM50,000 from one Karya Hidayah Sdn Bhd in September 2013.

The second is for accepting a land parcel valued at RM180,000 from the same company in March 2014.

The prosecution alleged that the two transactions were inducement for Noor Ehsanuddin to facilitate the appointment of Karya Hidayah as the printer of a RM13 million contract for Felda’s 1Suara newsletter until 2015.

Sessions Court judge Kamarudin Kamsun granted Noor Ehsanuddin bail at RM40,000 and set the case for mention on March 27.

Lawyers Datuk Thrichelvam and Vincent Lawrence acted for the former lawmaker while Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission deputy public prosecutor Khazrin Haffiz Khalil headed the prosecution.