MUDA president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has been ordered by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to enter his defence in his criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of funds, and money laundering trial.
Judicial commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid, in delivering his decision earlier this morning, said the prosecution has successfully proved a prima facie case against the former youth and sports minister.
Syed Saddiq, who is the incumbent Muar MP, is charged with abetting the Bersatu youth wing’s former assistant treasurer, Rafiq Hakim Razali, in the commission of CBT of RM1 mil at CIMB Bank Bhd on Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 here on March 6, 2020.
As the then Bersatu Youth chief, Syed Saddiq was entrusted with control of its funds.
He was also charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code for allegedly having misused RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, for himself by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018.
He faces imprisonment for up to five years with whipping and a fine, if found guilty of the offence.
Syed Saddiq is also charged with two counts of money-laundering involving two transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, transferred from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The charge was framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 which provides imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity, if found guilty. – Oct 28, 2022
