KUALA LUMPUR – The RM1 million corruption trial of former Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor will continue on December 7 before high court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
Deputy High Court Registrar Mahyuddin Mohmad Som said the trial, which was set to resume today, has been vacated due to the conditional movement control order (CMCO) being extended from to December 6.
“The court has vacated the dates, which was set earlier due to the CMCO. However, the court is maintaining the dates in December and set December 7 to 10 and December 14 until 16 to continue the trial,” he said, adding the court had informed the parties on the matter via an email on November 13.
The 69-year-old Putrajaya MP is charged with corruptly receiving RM1 million from businessman Datuk Tan Eng Boon, who had pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of abetting the politician and was fined RM1.5 million.
The money was deposited into Tengku Adnan’s CIMB Bank account as an inducement to assist an application by Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd to increase the company’s plot ratio in regard to a development project on Lot 228, Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur.
Tengku Adnan also faces an alternative charge, in his capacity as then Federal Territories minister, of receiving for himself RM1 million from Tan via a Public Bank cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd, which was deposited into his CIMB account, knowing that Tan, as a director of Nucleus Properties, had connections with his official duties.
The trial before Nazlan began on September 20 last year, with the prosecution calling two witnesses to testify.
However, Tengku Adnan had also filed an application to recuse Nazlan from hearing the case on grounds that the judge has read and considered the facts of Tan's case.
Nazlan dismissed Tengku Adnan's application, prompting him to file an appeal with the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal had, in February this year, ruled in favour of Tengku Adnan and ordered the trial be heard before another judge on grounds that Nazlan might be biased.
On July 17, this year, a three-member bench of the Federal Court reversed the Court of Appeal order for Nazlan's recusal. The case was, therefore, remitted back before Nazlan.
Tengku Adnan was also charged with having received for himself RM2 million from Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd director Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong. With the trial before high court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan completed, the court fixed December 21 for its decision. – Bernama, November 23, 2020
