Ikram official pleads not guilty to 158 graft charges involving RM98m

SHAH ALAM, June 16 — An official of Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram) pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to 158 charges of using his position for gratification totalling more than RM98 million between 2021 and 2025.

Fakhrudin Abd Karim, 57, entered the plea after all charges were read out during proceedings that lasted nearly two hours before Judge Datuk Mohd Nasir Nordin.

Under the first 149 charges, Fakhrudin was accused, in his capacity as an authorised signatory to a Maybank Islamic account belonging to Ikram, of using his position to obtain RM81.95 million in bribes for an associate, namely a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

According to the charges, he allegedly instructed 149 fund transfers from Ikram’s account to a Maybank Islamic account belonging to Ehsan Care Solution, an NGO in which he had an interest.

For charges 150 to 158, the father of 10 was accused of committing a similar offence by directing nine other transactions involving the NGO’s funds into two of his personal Maybank Islamic accounts, amounting to RM16.32 million.

The alleged offences were committed at Ikram’s Hulu Selangor office in Bukit Beruntung, Rawang, between January 6, 2021 and August 6, 2025.

The charges were framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1) of the same Act, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the value of the bribes or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib proposed bail of RM1 million with two sureties, along with conditions requiring the accused to surrender his passport and refrain from interfering with witnesses.

Lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan sought a lower bail of RM300,000, arguing that his client was willing to fully cooperate with the investigation and that his son and a friend were prepared to post bail.

The court granted bail of RM500,000 with two sureties and fixed August 7 for case management.

Following the proceedings, Ikram watching brief counsel Ashwida Abd Samad said the organisation had issued a notice requiring Fakhrudin to step aside from any decision-making role and barring him from involvement in operational matters.

Earlier media reports said two individuals, including the deputy chairman of an NGO, had been remanded to assist investigations into the alleged misappropriation of approximately RM230 million in funds. — Bernama