Syed Saddiq's CBT case transferred to High Court

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today transferred the case of Muar member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is facing four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of funds and money laundering, to the High Court.

Judge Azura Alwi transferred the case after Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin informed the court that the High Court had allowed the application by Syed Saddiq last Nov 25.

Meanwhile, counsel Gobind Singh Deo, representing Syed Saddiq, told the court that the documents on the High Court order allowing the transfer of the case from the Sessions Court were completed.

“The completed documents are in digital form,” he said when the case came up for mention in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today.

On the CBT charge, Syed Saddiq, 28, was charged in his capacity as then Bersatu Youth chief, who was entrusted with Armada’s fund, committed the offence by withdrawing RM1 million from the fund via a CIMB Bank Berhad cheque without the permission of the party’s (Bersatu) Supreme Council.

He was alleged to have committed the offence at CIMB Bank Berhad, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 in Kuala Lumpur on March 6, 2020, under Section 405 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 406 of the same law, which provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping and is liable to a fine, if found guilty.

Syed Saddiq was also charged with misusing RM120,000 in contributions for the GE14 campaign raised through a Maybank Islamic Berhad account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise at Maybank Islamic Berhad, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.

He faced imprisonment for up to five years with whipping and is liable to a fine if found guilty of the offence, which is framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code.

On Aug 5, at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court, Syed Saddiq was charged with two counts of engaging in money-laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Berhad account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru on June 16 and June 19, 2018.

The charges were framed under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which is punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same act, providing maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or the proceeds of illegal activities.

- Bernama