An MACC officer testified that she lodged a report against former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan over an allegation that the latter solicited and received RM6.9 million in bribes from a company linked to the RM232 million Central Spine Road project.
Khusyaini Adhillah Mat Aripin told the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court this afternoon that she lodged the report after receiving information on the allegation on Jan 27 last year.
During today’s opening trial of the Jana Wibawa project-related money laundering and corruption case against Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful (above), Khusyaini gave oral evidence that the information was received based on an earlier MACC report.
The prosecution witness said that the information alleged that in 2022, Wan Saiful as then Bersatu information chief had solicited and received RM6.9 million from Nepturis Sdn Bhd so that the company could secure the infrastructure project.
“Based on the said information, I opened the MACC complaint (report) on the same day (Jan 27, 2023) around 10.18pm,” Khusyaini told trial judge Rozina Ayob.
The witness added that she had discussed the matter with MACC assistant commissioner Mazery Mohd Zaini before lodging the report.
She said that after she lodged the report, she gave a copy of the report to the Public Sector Record Unit (Unit Rekod Sektor Awam) for record and for other MACC officers to conduct an investigation.
What does ‘help’ mean?
However, during cross-examination by Wan Saiful’s defence counsel Amer Hamzah Arshad, Khusyaini said she did not know what the word “help” meant in the context of the firm getting the project.
When Amer suggested that the word “help” was too general a meaning, she disagreed.
However, when the defence counsel grilled her on what the specific meaning of “help” meant in the context of the allegation against Wan Saiful, she said she did not know.
When Amer asked who asked her to lodge the report and from where did she receive the information about the allegation against Wan Saiful, Khusyaini said she did not know.
She added that she did not meet Wan Saiful to take his statement before lodging the complaint with MACC.
However, she disagreed with Amer’s contention that she lodged a false or malicious report against Wan Saiful.
It should be noted that the witness testified only about lodging the report, while other MACC officers investigated the accused.
At the end of proceedings today, a member of the prosecution team informed Rozina that they would be calling Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz as a prosecution witness. He was finance minister between August 2021 and October 2022.
Money laundering and bribery
Wan Saiful previously claimed trial to 18 money laundering counts involving RM5.59 million and two charges of soliciting and accepting RM6.9 million in bribes.
On the corruption charges, the 47-year-old allegedly solicited bribes from Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure the RM232 million Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Highway Interchange project from the government during the pre-qualification stage.
He was also accused of accepting RM6,962,694.54 in cash for himself through his company WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd’s CIMB Bank account from the Maybank Islamic account belonging to Nepturis, as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.
The two offences were purportedly committed in Kuala Lumpur - one at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana, and the other at CIMB Bank Bukit Tunku Branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku - between April and Sept 30, 2022.
Wan Saiful was also accused of 18 counts of money laundering involving RM5.59 million via the transfer and usage of illegal proceeds to pay for the purchase of a Ford Ranger, making payments to the Malaysian National Sports Council, as well as transferring money to several company accounts, including one belonging to Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd.
The offences were purportedly committed at the CIMB Bank Bukit Tunku branch in Kuala Lumpur between Aug 12 and Nov 13, 2022.
The money laundering charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
The trial before Rozina resumes tomorrow. - Mkini
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