KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (Pontian-BN) said his decision to pay a RM1.1 million compound so as to not continue his money-laundering trial is because the proceedings were taking too long.
The Umno MP told the Dewan Rakyat today that he was initially offered the compound deal in October 2019, but decided to take the matter to court then.
He said he felt at the time that there was injustice against some individuals who had also received funds linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd, and that these people assumed that the monies were from usual forms of political funding from Umno.
“When I was offered the compound in 2019, I fought (against it) because there were those who received RM50,000, but were compounded 50 times more by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan.
He said then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi-Pejuang) was not aware of this.
“How could someone be issued a compound that’s 50 times more than the amount received?
“This was why I fought (against the compound) at the time. But I saw that the (court) process was taking too long.”
Ahmad, who is a former deputy finance minister, was responding to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka-PH) on why he was willing to pay the RM1.1 million compound if he felt that he was a victim of a lack of a political funding law, as he previously claimed.
Yesterday, Ahmad was acquitted of money laundering after agreeing to settle the compound.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court freed him from allegations of failing to declare a sum he received from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the Inland Revenue Board, as well as of giving false statements to MACC.
In a statement yesterday, MACC said the RM1.1 million compound was issued as a punitive act and a form of asset recovery under laws against money laundering.
Ahmad said the amount he received from Najib was only RM1.1 million – the total of the compound – and not RM2 million as reported.
“I admitted to MACC that I received RM1.1 million, not RM2 million. When they asked Pekan (Najib), he confirmed that I received only RM1.1 million.
“As such, after paying the compound, I am acquitted. That is the court’s decision, and we must respect it.” – The Vibes, September 30, 2021
