FORMER solicitor-general II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abidin and senior lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik will be representing Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in his appeal against his conviction over criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of funds and money laundering.
His lawyer Alex Tan Chie Sian from Messrs Wong Kian Kheong confirmed this with Bernama.
Tan said law firm Messrs Wong Kian Kheong has taken over as Syed Saddiq’s solicitors in the appeal with Yusof being the lead counsel.
A case management was conducted today before Court of Appeal senior assistant registrar Nurul Azrina Mohamed, who fixed another case management date on March 15 as the appeal record and grounds of judgment were not ready.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd ‘Afif Ali appearing for the prosecution attended the case management today, along with Tan.
Syed Saddiq’s previous lead counsel Gobind Singh Deo was appointed digital minister during the cabinet reshuffle on Dec 12, last year.
On Nov 9, Syed Saddiq, who is also former youth and sports minister and MUDA president, was sentenced to seven-year jail, fined RM10 mil and two strokes of the cane by the Kuala Lumpur High Court after being found guilty of four charges.
Syed Saddiq, 30, was charged with abetting former Bersatu Youth assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali, who was entrusted with RM1 mil of party funds, to commit CBT by misappropriating the funds.
The offence was allegedly committed at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2 here on March 6, 2020, and the charge was framed under Section 406 of the Penal Code.
On the second charge under Section 403 of the Penal Code, he was accused of misappropriating RM120,000 from Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise’s Maybank Islamic Bhd account by making Rafiq dispose of the money.
For the two charges framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Amlatfpuaa) he was accused of laundering money via transactions of RM50,000 each, believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in a bank at Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The High Court allowed a stay of execution of all sentences pending appeal. – Jan 18, 2023
