KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Former Mara Incorporated Sdn Bhd (Mara Inc) chairman Datuk Mohammad Lan Allani was today charged in two Sessions Courts here with 22 counts of corruption and money laundering totalling RM20.45 million involving property deals in Melbourne, Australia.

Mohammad Lan, 65, pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which were read out separately before judges Azura Alwi and Rozina Ayob.

He is charged with 17 counts of receiving bribes, three counts of attempting to receive bribes and two counts of money laundering, among others, for approving a proposal paper entitled 'Proposed Acquisition of a Student Accommodation Building and a Commercial Retail Block known as Dudley International House, 7-13 Dudley Street, Caulfield East, Victoria 3145, Melbourne, Australia’ between 2012 and 2013.

The offences were allegedly committed at various locations, including Solaris Mont Kiara, Maybank Mont Kiara Branch, a restaurant in Bukit Kiara here and CIMB Bank in Jalan Sagunting, Kota Kinabalu.

He was allowed bail of RM400,000 in one surety and ordered to surrender his passport to the court until the disposal of his case.

The courts fixed April 8 this year for mention of the case. — Bernama