The prosecution in businessperson Tan Eng Boon's corruption case today applied for the case to be transferred from the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to the High Court, along with former Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s case.
DPP Lailawati Ali made the application before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.
"We apply for the transfer as in Tengku Adnan's case, the case was allowed to be transferred from the Sessions Court to the High Court last Friday," she said, adding that the prosecution will also apply for a joint trial with Tan as it involves the same transaction.
However, Tan's lawyer, Cheow Wee, said he needs time to get further instructions from his client on whether he is agreeable to the transfer.
Following this, Azura fixed Jan 7 for the mention of Tan's case.
Tan, 70, was charged last month, under Section 16 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009, with bribing Tengku Adnan via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd, which was deposited into the former minister's CIMB account.
The alleged payment, made on Dec 27, 2013, was for Tengku Adnan, who is widely referred to as Ku Nan, for giving approval to the company's application to increase the plot ratio for land on Jalan Semarak.
If convicted under the MACC Act, the accused faces a maximum jail term of 20 years and five times the bribe amount.
Alternatively, Tan is also accused of abetting with Ku Nan in his corruption charge, under Section 109 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 165 of the same code.
Under this section, the businessperson faces up to two years' jail or a fine or both.
The former minister was charged last month with receiving RM1 million from Tan. He is also charged with another bribery charge linked with another businessperson. -Mkini
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