Ku Nan asked for money from tycoon in 2016, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had allegedly asked for about RM5mil to RM6mil from a property tycoon for a by-election in 2016, a High Court heard.

Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong, who is chairman of Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, then gave the former Federal Territories minister RM2mil for the purpose.

Deputy public prosecutor Julia Ibrahim, in her opening statement at Tengku Adnan’s bribery trial which began yesterday, said that a cheque for the RM2mil was personally given by Chai to Tengku Adnan at the office of the accused in Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on June 14, 2016.

“The RM2mil was given via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque number 136822 dated June 14, 2016 – belonging to Aset Kayamas – and paid to Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd (a company Tengku Adnan has links to),” said DPP Julia.

Prosecution witness Nik Yahaya Nik Mustapha, who was Tengku Adnan’s driver from 1994 to 2018, said that he was given the cheque on the same day (June 14, 2016) by Tengku Adnan and was told to deposit it into Tadmansori Holdings’ account.

“I took it to the Damansara Town Centre CIMB Berhad branch to be deposited (into Tadmansori Holdings’ account),” said Nik Yahaya, who was the fourth witness.

When cross-examined by Tengku Adnan’s counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan on whether Nik Yahaya remembered whether there were two by-elections in June 2016 - one in Sungai Besar, Selangor and another in Kuala Kangsar, Perak - the ex-driver answered in the affirmative.

Nik Yahaya

Tan: Do you remember ferrying him to attend activities connected to the two by-elections?

Nik Yahaya: Yes.

When asked by Tan whether it was usual for him to be asked to deposit Tengku Adnan’s cheques, Nik Yahaya said that he could not remember.

The court earlier heard from prosecution witness Khairolrony Kamarudin, who is the assistant manager at the Taman Setiawangsa branch of CIMB Bank, that RM2mil was deposited into Tadmansori Holdings’ account on June 14, 2016.

DPP Julia also told the court that Chai had personally handed a proposal on developing a 4.05 acres site in Bandar Tun Razak to Tengku Adnan on Jan 27, 2015.

She said Tengku Adnan knew at that time there was conflict of interest in view of his post as minister and Aset Kayamas’ property developing activities.

The proposal - which was for Aset Kayamas to buy the land and to develop it into affordable homes - was, however, rejected by the then Kuala Lumpur mayor, she added.

Despite the rejection, Tengku Adnan continued to deal with Chai on the matter, she said.

“The prosecution will establish that the accused played an active part in the project (proposal to buy and develop the land) such as chairing a special OSC meeting (by DBKL) where it was decided that the City Hall agreed to the proposed development, including building affordable units, other housing units and a hostel for DBKL on a 0.5 acre site,” she added.

In cheerful mood: Tengku Adnan waving to his supporters and reporters at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

The court also heard from third witness Daman Huri Nor, who is the secretary for the Parliament and Constitution Affairs section of the Prime Minister’s Department, that Tengku Adnan was paid a monthly salary of RM14,907.20 and RM24,320 in allowances (RM39,227.20 in total monthly) during his time as Federal Territories Minister.

Earlier, first prosecution witness Muhamad Akmaludin Abdullah, an assistant registrar at Companies Commission of Malaysia, said that among the directors of Tadmansori Holdings are Datuk Tengku Rethwan Tengku Mansor, Tengku Iqbal Munawwir Tengku Adnan and Tengku Daud Shah Tengku Adnan.

All three have family links to Tengku Adnan, 68.

Tengku Adnan, who sat in the dock yesterday, was charged on Jan 23 this year under the Penal Code for allegedly receiving RM2mil as bribery from Chai.

The trial will continue before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan today.- Star