RM1mil deposited into Shahrir’s joint account with wife, court told

 

Shahrir Samad is charged with failing to declare RM1 million, which he received from Najib Razak, to the Inland Revenue Board. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told today that a cheque for the sum of RM1 million was deposited into a Public Islamic Bank joint account in the name of Shahrir Samad and his wife, Shahrizan Abdullah, on Nov 28, 2013.

The banking services manager of the bank’s Bukit Damansara branch, Farid M Alnafiah, 40, said the copy of the AmIslamic Bank’s RM1 million cheque in Shahrir’s name, dated Nov 27, 2013, was made from the AmIslamic Bank Bhd account number 2022011906.

“Based on the account statement, I confirmed that on Nov 25, 2013, the balance in the (joint) account was RM82,324.96 (before the RM1 million deposit),” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Rasyidah Murni Azmi in the trial of the Johor Bahru MP who was charged with failing to declare the RM1 million he received from Najib Razak to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).

The witness said the RM1 million cheque was successfully processed and cleared.

However, he said there was a withdrawal of RM200,000 through a cheque dated Dec 2, 2013, from the joint account by Shahrizan, which was later deposited into a Public Bank Bhd joint account in the name of Shahrizan and her daughter, Marisa Diyana Shahrir.

Farid said that based on Shahrizan and Marisa’s joint account statement on Nov 27, 2013, the balance in the account was RM2,287,589.77 and the ending balance on Dec 6, 2013, was RM2,533,272.24.

Questioned by Shahrir’s lawyer Syed Faisal Al-Edros Syed Abdullah Al-Edros, the witness said he did not know whether the RM200,000 withdrawn by Shahrizan was a refund from Shahrir.

Syed Faisal: Do you have any knowledge of whether the RM200,000 was a refund from Tan Sri Shahrir for the money he borrowed from his wife to carry out his political activities in Johor Bahru and to revive the Puri Langkasuka project in Larkin?

Farid: No, I don’t.

The witness, however, confirmed that Shahrir had made 20 bank transactions, totalling RM1,223,680, between June 4 and Oct 17, 2013.

When asked by another lawyer representing the MP, Dzulkifli Ahmad, the bank manager said the LHDN did not take his statement during the investigations into the case, while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) only asked for the documents to be submitted.

Farid also confirmed that Shahrir had issued a cheque of RM115,000 to account number 114329041647 on Dec 9, 2013; RM10,000 in the name of Taman Kebun Teh Umno dated Dec 7, 2013; RM118,485.00 in the name of Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd dated Dec 21, 2013; RM10,000 as a cash cheque dated Jan 8, 2014; RM100,000 and RM200,000 in the name of Syed Mohsin Syed Sagaf dated Feb 6 and 28, 2014, respectively; and RM63,800 in the name of Zam Engineering & Construction dated March 22, 2014.

“I also confirmed that there was a money transfer from Tan Sri Shahrir’s Public Islamic Bank account to YM Auto Wheels Enterprise, totalling RM180,000, on March 31, 2014, based on the signature on the slip,” he said.

Shahrir, 72, is charged with money laundering, by not stating his real income in the Income Tax Return Form for Assessment Year 2013, which is a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, on the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib and deposited into his Public Islamic Bank account.

He was charged with committing the offence at LHDN, Duta Branch, Government Office Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, here, on April 25, 2014.

The charge, framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, provides a maximum fine of RM5 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if found guilty.

The trial before judge Jamil Hussin continues tomorrow. - FMT