KUALA LUMPUR – A Road Transport Department (RTD) assistant director told the high court here today that a Honda Civic hybrid car valued at RM118,485 was registered under the name of former Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abd Samad on December 31, 2013.
Zaharudin Zainuddin, 51, of the RTD headquarters’ vehicle licensing division in Putrajaya, said the white car was registered as an individual private vehicle.
“I confirm the registration number JPD545 belongs to Shahrir Ab Samad with the address at 17, Jalan Seruling, Taman Perbadanan Islam, 80250 Johor Baru, Johor,” he said.
He was reading out his witness statement during an examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Natrah Fareha Rahmat at the trial of the former Johor Baru MP, who is facing a charge of failing to declare RM1 million received from Datuk Seri Najib Razak through a cheque dated November 27, 2013 to the Inland Revenue Board.
The 19th prosecution witness said that based on a search on MySikap JPJ system, registration for the vehicle was made by a vehicle distributor, and the vehicle is still owned by Shahrir as there was no information on a change of ownership to another person to date.
To another question by counsel Datuk Syed Faisal Al-Edros Syed Abdullah Al-Edros, who is representing Shahrir, if the car was used by the Taman Kebun Teh Umno branch, the witness said that he did not know.
Zaharudin agreed with the lawyer that the RTD system did not record the purpose of the vehicle’s use, but only its owner’s information.
On August 8, Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd account executive Rozana Khalid, 43, told the court that Shahrir had fully paid for the purchase of the car valued at RM118,485 using a cheque dated December 21, 2013.
Maybank Damansara Heights assistant manager, Fazilah Omar, 47, who also testified today said a Public Islamic Bank cheque in Shahrir’s name amounting to RM115,000 dated December 9, 2013, was deposited into the Maybank account of the former Felda chairman.
“Based on the Maybank statement in the name of Shahrir, I confirm the balance in the Maybank account stood at RM65,810.38 on November 28, 2013. On December 9, 2013, RM115,000 via a cheque was deposited into the account (Maybank),” said the 17th prosecution witness.
In this regard, Maybank Desa Sri Hartamas branch assistant manager Muhammad Zamzuri Mohd Zain, 53, today confirmed that Shahrir made a remittance of RM69,090 from his Maybank account to a Public Bank account in the name of YM Auto Wheels Enterprise on April 1, 2014.
However, the 18th prosecution witness did not know the purpose of the transaction.
Shahrir, 72, is charged with money laundering by not stating his real income in the income tax return form for the assessment year 2013, a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, on the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib through a cheque.
He is charged with committing the offence at LHDN, Duta Branch, Government Office Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim here, on April 25, 2014 under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which provides a maximum fine of RM5 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both if found guilty.
The hearing before judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues tomorrow. – Bernama, October 3, 2022
