MACC prosecutors will continue pursuing their appeal against Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s acquittal from his corruption conviction and sentence.
The matter was confirmed via a letter, dated today and signed by the anti-graft body’s legal and prosecution division senior director Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, and addressed to the Federal Court registrar.
“The appellant has sought the views and instructions of the attorney-general on this matter and (he) has directed that this appeal be continued, and that whatever decision this court makes shall be accepted.
“In this regard, the appellant maintains the written and oral submissions presented in this appeal.
“All consideration, discretion, and cooperation in this matter are preceded by a million thanks,” said the letter, which Malaysiakini sighted.
Wan Shaharuddin, who led the prosecution team, confirmed the matter when contacted by Malaysiakini today, saying that the prosecution is confident in its case.
“Since we and Syed Saddiq’s lawyers have already argued on the important issues for this appeal, we leave it to the discretion of the Federal Court panel to make a decision,” he said.
The Federal Court, on Dec 13, had given the prosecution a one-week “cooling off” period to review and reassess their appeal.
Convicted then acquitted
Syed Saddiq was charged in 2021 with four corruption offences - one under Section 403 of the Penal Code for misappropriating RM120,000 from Bersatu Youth Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd account by making Rafiq Hakim Razali dispose of the funds between April 8 and 21, 2018.
Rafiq was Bersatu Youth’s former assistant treasurer, who is also the prosecution’s key witness in this case.
Apart from this, Syed Saddiq, who is the former Muda president, was charged under Section 406 of the Penal Code for abetting Rafiq, who was entrusted with Bersatu Youth’s funds amounting to RM1 million, to commit criminal breach of trust on March 6, 2020.
He was also charged with two counts of money laundering via transactions of RM50,000 each from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera accounts on June 16 and 19 in 2018, framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Syed Saddiq was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to seven years in jail, two strokes of the rotan, and an RM10 million fine.
The Court of Appeal acquitted him in June this year, leading to the present appeal before the Federal Court panel chaired by Court of Appeal president Abu Bakar Jais, with Federal Court judges Che Ruzima Ghazali and Collin Lawrence Sequerah as the remaining members of the panel. - Mkini
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