Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman maintained his not-guilty plea to two counts of abetting money laundering of RM100,000.
The Muar MP reiterated his innocence when his plea was recorded before Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin this morning.
Today was fixed for mention of the two abetment charges before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, following the transfer of the case from the Johor Bahru Sessions Court.
Back on Aug 5, the former Bersatu youth chief was hit with the two money laundering abetment charges. He claimed trial, with the charges to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
According to the two charges framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, he was accused of being involved in the transfer of the funds on two occasions on June 16 and 19, 2018.
On each occasion at Maybank Islamic Berhad, Taman Perling in Johor Bahru, he was alleged to have transferred RM50,000 from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account to his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
The prosecution had sought the transfer so that Syed Saddiq’s two abetment charges can be heard together with the accused two other misappropriation charges involving RM1.12 million of funds from Bersatu. The two misappropriation charges are before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
When met by the media after proceedings before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today, Syed Saddiq’s counsel Haijan Omar confirmed the outcome of proceedings before Suzana.
The lawyer explained that Suzana has also fixed Nov 30 for mention of the case, pending the outcome of hearing of an application to transfer the case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
On Nov 25, the Kuala Lumpur High Court is set to hear Syed Saddiq’s application to transfer all four charges from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
Meanwhile, Haijan added that the accused’s two misappropriation charges involving RM1.12 million are still before Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.
The lawyer said that Azura also fixed Nov 30 for further mention of the case, pending the outcome of hearing of the application to have the High Court hear the accused’s case.
At present, Syed Saddiq’s four charges are split between two Kuala Lumpur Sessions Courts, with the two RM100,000 abetment money laundering charges before Suzana, while the two RM1.12 million misappropriation charges before Azura.
Previously on July 22, the prosecution was reportedly seeking for all four charges against Syed Saddiq to be heard together before a single court at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex.
On July 17 last year, the MACC grilled Syed Saddiq for 11 hours over a report he made a few months earlier in March over the sum of around RM250,000 that he claimed was stolen from his home.
He alleged that most of the missing money was to fund renovations for his house in Petaling Jaya. Of the missing sum, it was alleged that RM90,000 belonged to him whereas RM50,000 belonged to his mother and RM70,000 to his father.
The incident occurred amid turbulence within Bersatu where the former youth chief sided with Langkawi MP and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who led a breakaway faction from the party.
Both were later expelled from Bersatu, a party headed by its president Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also the then prime minister.
After being charged at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court on Aug 5, Syed Saddiq raised the allegation that then deputy youth and sports minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal tried to persuade him to support then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
While admitting to having met Syed Saddiq, Wan Fayhsal, who is Bersatu youth chief, denied the meeting had anything to do with the former’s court case.
Wan Fayhsal is now deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity).
Helming the Bersatu presidency, Muhyiddin stepped down as premier last month. Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has since assumed the post of prime minister. - Mkini
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