A deputy public prosecutor and a friend were charged in the Sessions Court here today with soliciting and accepting bribe.

However, Kamalia Yahdi, 33, who is with the Tawau office of the Attorney-General Chamber, and her friend, Chang Voon Kiat, 45, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In the first count, Kamalia Yahdi was charged with soliciting RM50,000 from Shang Yee Chew and Chang Fui Hsia as an inducement for her to help withdraw cases No. TWU-83-54/3-2015 and TWU-83-76/4/2015, which she was then handling at the Magistrate's Court here.

She was alleged to have committed the offence, under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, at Cafe@7 Hotel Promenade on May 15 last year.

Kamalia was also charged with agreeing to accept RM40,000 from the two individuals for the same purpose at the same hotel at 9 pm the following day (May 20).

Meanwhile, Chang, who allegedly acted as "middleman" for Kamalia, was charged with soliciting RM40,000 from Shang at Kuhara Court Apartment here at 2.30 pm on May 20 last year and with accepting the money at about 10pm at Cafe@7 Hotel Promenade.

Judge Dean Wayne Daly allowed Kamalia and Chang to be released on bail of RM20,000 in one surety and set Feb 19 for mention.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Norzilati Izhani Zainal and prosecuting officer Awang Samsul Baharam Bungso.

Both the accused were unrepresented.