'Clear-kan' was not exact words used by Syed Saddiq - witness

 

Bersatu Youth treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali admitted to the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning that the order to “clear-kan” (dispose of) part of RM1 million was not the exact words used by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman back in 2020.

The prosecution witness said that he could not remember the exact words used by the former youth and sports minister but initially maintained that he remembered what the order meant.

“I don’t remember the specific words, but I remember what he meant,” Rafiq (above) said during cross-examination by defence counsel Gobind Singh Deo during Syed Saddiq’s misappropriation trial, involving RM1.2 million of funds from Bersatu youth.

During open-court proceedings before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid yesterday, Rafiq alleged that Syed Saddiq directed him to withdraw the RM1 million from Bersatu Youth’s bank account on March 6, 2020.

He said this during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shahruddin Wan Ladin, alleging that between late March and early April 2020, he received a call from Syed Saddiq to distribute RM900,000 of the funds to two Bersatu members.

“From what I remember, I received a WhatsApp call from Syed Saddiq around March or April. He said that MACC came to his house to check, so he ordered me to clear the money that I was holding at the time. Hence I distributed it to Naqib and Daniel,” he testified yesterday.

He was referring to Muhammad Daniel Kusari, who is Federal Territories Bersatu Youth information chief and tailor Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim.

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman

Rafiq agreed that the money from Bersatu Youth’s bank account was eventually used for youth programmes organised by Bersatu Youth.

This led to Gobind questioning why Syed Saddiq would request to dispose of money that was meant to be used for the party.

Gobind: One million there (in the account) is to be used for the party. Why would he (Syed Saddiq) say clear-kan?

Rafiq: He did say clear-kan.

Gobind: He said clear-kan? I put it to you (that) he did not use those words. That is your understanding of it, right?

Rafiq: Yes.

Gobind: Those monies, Mr Rafiq, were eventually used for Armada (Bersatu Youth) programmes, correct?

Rafiq: Correct.

Gobind: That means there was no intention to clear-kan because you wanted to use those monies still for Armada, right? You see where I am getting - it is hanging. It doesn’t make sense, right? The money was used, so it doesn’t mean clear-kan.

Rafiq: I request to explain.

Gobind: Answer my question first [...] You asked to clear-kan, and then you used it later. It doesn’t make sense, right?

Rafiq: Makes sense.

Gobind: Which would mean the instructions were to keep it, right? Because you’re going to use it.

Rafiq: Yes.

Syed Saddiq had claimed trial for two charges of misappropriation involving RM1.12 million from Bersatu Youth.

The former Bersatu Youth chief also pleaded not guilty to two counts of abetting money laundering, whereby each alleged transaction involved transferring RM50,000 from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account to his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.

According to the two abetment charges framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, Syed Saddiq was accused of transferring the funds on June 16 and 19, 2018, at Maybank Islamic Berhad, Taman Perling in Johor Bahru.

The four charges were later transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court. - Mkini