THE Federal Court is set to deliver its decision on June 30 on the prosecution’s final appeal against the acquittal of Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in a case involving allegations of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and money laundering of Armada funds.
Syed Saddiq, a former youth and sports minister, will remain acquitted if the apex court dismisses the prosecution’s appeal.
However, he faces the possibility of imprisonment should the court rule in favour of the prosecution’s arguments.
The court date was communicated via a letter addressed to Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.
The appeal will be heard by a three-member Federal Court bench chaired by Court of Appeal President Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, sitting together with Federal Court judges Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Razali and Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The matter was confirmed by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
In an unusual development on 12 December last year, Abu Bakar had directed the prosecution to reconsider its position after hearing submissions from both parties, instructing them to decide whether to proceed with the appeal.
The court granted the prosecution one week to review its case.
He reportedly said he hoped the prosecution would proceed if it believed it could still prove its case, but should inform the court if it considered the appeal insufficiently strong after review.
The prosecution subsequently decided to proceed, informing the court via letter six days later.
The letter stated that after obtaining further views and instructions from the Attorney General, Mohd Dusuki had directed that the appeal continue and that any court decision should be accepted.
On 25 June last year, the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged Syed Saddiq, 33, after allowing his appeal to overturn a High Court conviction that had sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment, two strokes of the cane and a RM10 million fine on 9 November 2023.
The Attorney General’s Chambers filed an appeal to the Federal Court the following day.
Syed Saddiq was previously accused of abetting former Armada assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali in criminal breach of trust involving RM1 million belonging to Armada, allegedly withdrawn from CIMB Bank Berhad at KL Sentral on 6 March 2020.
The charge falls under Section 406 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, whipping and a fine.
He also faced charges of misappropriating RM120,000 belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of between six months and five years, whipping and a fine.
In addition, he was charged with two counts of money laundering involving RM50,000 transferred into his own Amanah Saham Bumiputera account, under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to five times the amount involved. - April 27, 2026
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