KUALA LUMPUR – Youth-based political party Muda stands in solidarity with its president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is being charged for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and misusing campaign funds at the sessions court here.
Muda Central Executive Committee in a statement today welcomed the trial as it gives the independent lawmaker an opportunity to present his side of the story and proof disputing the charges laid out against him.
“Similar to Muda’s registration, we are confident and believe that the best way to obtain justice and uphold the truth is through the court.
“We respect the judicial process and wait for all the evidence to be presented, so the public will know what is really happening.”
Earlier today, Syed Saddiq claimed trial to CBT and pleaded not guilty to misappropriating RM1 million belonging to his former party Bersatu, in which he was Youth chief before the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government late February last year.
Syed Saddiq is accused of doing so on March 6 last year via a CIMB Bank cheque at the bank’s branch in KL Sentral without obtaining permission from the Bersatu supreme council.
A person found guilty under Section 405 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 406, faces a jail term not exceeding 10 years, whipping, and is liable to a fine.
The Muar MP is also charged with misusing a RM120,000 donation for the 2018 general election campaign, to which he also pleaded not guilty.
The donation was collected via a Maybank Islamic account owned by Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
According to the charge, Syed Saddiq is accused of misusing the donation between April 8 and 21, 2018, at the Maybank Islamic outlet in Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya.
If guilty, he faces a jail term of between six months and five years, whipping, and is liable to a fine under Section 403 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution is represented by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah, Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir and Mohd ‘Afif Ali, while Syed Saddiq is represented by Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.
The court has set September 10 for case mention. – The Vibes, July 22, 2021
