THE Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Friday granted former human resources minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan RM450,000 bail after prosecutors warned of risks that he could flee or interfere with witnesses in a case involving three bribery charges totalling RM1.097 million.
During submissions on the 58-year-old MIC deputy president’s bail application, Deputy Public Prosecutor Julaila Jamaluddin initially urged the court not to grant bail, arguing that the offences fell within the category of charges that were not bailable.
However, she said that should the court exercise its discretion to grant bail, the prosecution proposed that it be set at RM800,000.
Among the factors that needed to be considered, she said, were the seriousness of the alleged offences and the Tapah MP’s standing in society.
“It includes the risk of the accused fleeing and the possibility of interfering with or influencing prosecution witnesses.
“His position as a well-known politician must also be taken into account because a high-profile case has the potential to attract extensive media coverage,” said Julaila, who appeared with Deputy Public Prosecutors Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib and P Rubini.
She said the amount of bail should reflect the seriousness of the offences with which Saravanan had been charged.
She maintained that RM800,000 was reasonable and not excessive, given the gravity of the charges and the penalties provided for under the law.
In addition to the proposed bail, the prosecution sought further conditions, including the surrender of his passport, a prohibition against interfering with prosecution witnesses either directly or through third parties, and a requirement that he report to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office once every three months.
“The proposed amount is not punitive or excessive but is intended to ensure the accused’s attendance in court throughout the trial,” she said.
Saravanan, who is also chairman of Yayasan Seniman India, was represented by lawyers Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent, Lavinia Raja and Jeremiah Anand.
After hearing submissions from all parties, Judge Azura Alwi granted Saravanan bail of RM450,000 with one Malaysian citizen as surety.
“It also includes the additional conditions that he report to the nearest MACC office once every three months and that he does not interfere with witnesses, directly or indirectly,” the judge said.
The court fixed Sept 29 for the next mention of the case.
Saravanan pleaded not guilty to three charges of accepting bribes of RM150,000, RM350,000 and RM597,000 from Vectica Resources Sdn Bhd director Tan Teck Lim, 65, through the late Syed Amirul Syed Ahmad, 38.
Of the total amount, RM597,000 was allegedly received through a cheque deposited into the bank account of Big Seven Ventures Sdn Bhd.
The alleged bribes were said to have been an inducement and reward for Saravanan, in his capacity as a public officer and human resources minister, to approve an application for 1,000 foreign worker quotas for TYKB Engineering Sdn Bhd. - August 28, 2026
