KUALA LUMPUR – The sessions court was told today that the two corruption-related charges amounting to RM6.9 million involving the Jana Wibawa project brought against former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan are in order and complete.
Deputy public prosecutor Rasyidah Murni Azmi said that the two charges are not flawed, but rather clear and understandable.
“Section 153 of the Criminal Procedure Code states that the date and time must be specified in the charge.
“In the first charge, the date has been stated which was around April 2022 while the second charge was between July and September.
“The defence has also been provided with sufficient documents and notices to enable them to prepare their defence,” she said.
She said this at the hearing proceedings of Wan Saiful’s application to strike out two charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM6.9 million involving the Jana Wibawa project before Judge Rozina Ayob.
Rasyidah said Wan Saiful’s application was premature, because the prosecution’s witnesses had not yet given evidence.
“Therefore, we ask the court to reject this application as it does not have a solid reason and is an abuse of the court process,” she said.
Wan Saiful’s lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad said both charges against his client were defective because they did not specifically state the date the offences were allegedly committed.
“The charges only mention around a certain month without complete details of the offence.
“At this stage, we are not asking for a discharge and acquittal, but the court has the authority to examine whether the charges are in order according to the provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code,” said the lawyer.
After hearing the submissions, Rozina fixed July 21 to deliver her decision on the application.
Wan Saiful, 47, is charged with soliciting a bribe from one Lian Tan Chuan as an inducement for him to help a company, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, secure the Central Spine Road: Sertik to East Coast Expressway Interchange project, worth RM232 million, from the Malaysian government.
He is also charged with receiving RM6,962,694.54, which was transferred from a Maybank Islamic Bhd account owned by Nepturis Sdn Bhd into a CIMB Bank Bhd account owned by his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, as a reward for helping the company obtain a letter of acceptance for the project.
He is alleged to have committed both offences at the Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana here, in April 2022, and at CIMB Bank Bhd Bukit Tunku branch, Taman Tunku, Bukit Tunku here between July 8, 2022, and September 30, 2022. – Bernama, June 27, 2023
