KUALA LUMPUR – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today maintained his not guilty plea on two counts of money laundering charges involving RM100,000.
The former youth and sports minister made the plea when the charges were read out to him again before sessions court judge Suzana Hussin.
Lawyer Haijan Omar, representing Syed Saddiq, then informed the court that the defence had filed an application to transfer the cases from the sessions court to the high court and that the application would be heard before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on November 25.
Suzana then set November 30 for mention.
Syed Saddiq, 29, had pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read out for the first time on August 5 in the Johor Baru sessions court.
Following an application by the prosecution, judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail allowed for the case to be transferred to the sessions court here.
On both the charges, Syed Saddiq, 29, was charged with engaging in money laundering activities by transferring RM50,000 on each transaction, believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Berhad account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
He was alleged to have committed the act at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru on June 16 and June 19, 2018.
The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which is punishable under Section 4(1) of the same act, providing maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or proceeds of illegal activities.
In another sessions court, judge Azura Alwi set the same date (November 30) to mention another two cases Syed Saddiq faces, which are for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and misappropriation of funds.
Haijan, when met by reporters, said the defence had also filed an application to transfer the case to the high court and that the application would be heard on November 25 before Zaini.
On the CBT charge, Syed Saddiq was charged in his capacity as former Armada chief, then entrusted with the Bersatu wing’s funds, to have committed the offence by withdrawing RM1 million from the funds via a CIMB Bank Berhad cheque without the permission of the party’s supreme council.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at CIMB Bank Berhad, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.
The charge, framed under Section 405 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 406 of the same law, provides an imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping and is liable with a fine, if found guilty.
Syed Saddiq was also charged with misusing RM120,000 in contributions for the GE14 campaign raised through a Maybank Islamic Berhad account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.
The offence was allegedly committed at Maybank Islamic Berhad,Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.
He faces imprisonment for up to five years with whipping and is liable to a fine if found guilty of the offence, which is framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code. – Bernama, September 10, 2021
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