KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has been recharged in court for a corruption charge involving RM2mil on technical grounds.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Julia Ibrahim informed Sessions judge Azman Ahmad that she was withdrawing the second charge originally faced by Tengku Adnan as it was not the same, not related and was improper for a joint-trial.
“We will refile the charge and have it read out again as a fresh charge,” she told the judge.
The judge then gave the accused a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for the said charge.
Tengku Adnan’s counsel Datuk Tan Hock Chuan then applied for his client’s bail to be reduced to RM500,000 in one surety from RM1mil to enable his client to use it for a new case.
Judge Azman allowed the bail to be reduced to RM500,000.
When the new charge was read out again, Tengku Adnan, 68, claimed trial to accepting RM2mil in his capacity as the Federal Territories Minister from one Chai Kin Kong via a cheque issued by Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, which was deposited into the bank account of Tadmansori Sdn Bhd.
It was alleged that Tengku Adnan knew he had official dealings with Aset Kayamas at the time. He allegedly committed the offence at the Pusat Bandar Damansara branch of CIMB Bank Bhd here on June 14, 2016.
The court fixed Jan 7 for mention.
Tan told the judge that they have filed an application to transfer the case to the High Court and the court set this Friday for the hearing of the application.
He also applied for Tengku Adnan’s passport to be returned temporarily because his client needed to go to Melbourne in Australia for an appointment with a cardiologist.
Judge Azman then allowed Tan’s application and instructed Tengku Adnan to return the passport during the next mention date.
On Nov 15, Tengku Adnan was charged with corruptly receiving RM1mil from property developer Datuk Tan Eng Boon through a cheque belonging to Pekan Nenas Industries Sdn Bhd, which was deposited into Tengku Adnan’s account. The money was purportedly to reward him for approving the application of Nucleus Properties Sdn Bhd (now known as Paragon City Development Sdn Bhd) to increase the plot ratio in respect of a development on Lot 228 in Jalan Semarak here. The offence was allegedly committed at the CIMB Bank branch at the Putra World Trade Centre on Dec 27, 2013.
Tengku Adnan faces an alternative charge of accepting the RM1mil from Tan at the same place and time through a cheque that was deposited into his account when he knew Tan was a director of Nucleus Properties and had a connection with his official functions as the minister.
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