JOHOR BARU – Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today pleaded not guilty at the sessions court here to two counts under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.
The Muar MP is accused of misappropriating RM100,000.
If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the misappropriated funds, or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
The case has been transferred to the Kuala Lumpur sessions court.
Syed Saddiq, formerly of Bersatu, has alleged that his rival Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who took over as the party’s Youth chief, persuaded him to support Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The revelation follows Wan Fayhsal’s accusation that Syed Saddiq misappropriated Bersatu funds when he was still with the party.
“If I am so evil as to steal Armada funds, why meet me before I am charged (to convince me) to support the prime minister?” said Syed Saddiq.
“Truth will prevail. Enjoy your ‘surat sokongan’ (support letter) while it lasts.”
Syed Saddiq, who co-founded the youth-based Muda after leaving Bersatu, was responding to a tweet in which Wan Fayhsal said the former had “swept” away money belonging to the wing.
In the same tweet, Syed Saddiq is also accused of not keeping financial records and being unable to explain the spending.
Today’s charges are in addition to the MP’s July 22 charges in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly misappropriating RM1 million belonging to Bersatu.
He is accused of having done so via a CIMB Bank cheque at the bank’s branch at KL Sentral on March 6 last year without obtaining permission from the Bersatu supreme council.
Syed Saddiq was also charged with misusing a RM120,000 donation for the 14th general election campaign between April 8 and 21, 2018. The funds were collected via a Maybank Islamic account owned by Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
For both accusations, he was charged under Section 405 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum 10 years’ imprisonment, caning and a fine upon conviction. – The Vibes, August 5, 2021
