Ex-KL City Hall dep director charged with laundering RM276k to buy cows

IPOH: A former Kuala Lumpur City Hall deputy director pleaded not guilty to three counts of money laundering totalling RM276,400 for the purchase of 109 cows last year.

Sabudin Mohd Salleh, 58, was charged before Sessions Court Judge S. Indera Nehru.

According to the first charge, between April 5,2019, and April 29,2019, Sabudin deposited money through five transactions at a bank in Seri Iskandar into the account of Sky Active Farm for the purpose of purchasing 40 cows, with the money used being from unlawful activities.

The second charge said he banked in RM147,000 into the account of one Mohamed Yusof Yasin between April 1,2019, and April 20,2019, at Kampung Tersusun, Batu 3 in Kampar, through five cheque transactions to purchase 51 cows.

In the third charge, he is accused of paying a deposit of RM21,000 through two cheque transactions to purchase 18 cows from one Abdul Razak Abdul Rani between April 10,2019, and May 6,2019, at Kampung Teluk Bakong, Lambor Kanan in Perak Tengah.

The charges were framed under Section 4(1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Anti-Terrorism Financing Act and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

The offences carry a jail term of up to 15 years, a fine of five times the amount of the money involved or RM5mil, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's deputy public prosecutor Nurul Wahida Jalaluddin asked the court to set bail at RM20,000 for all three charges.

However, Sabudin's counsel Aiman Abdul Rahman, requested a lower bail, stating that his client had already forked out RM220,000 as bail for the other charges he faced at the Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam Sessions Court.

In those cases, he was charged on Jan 7 and Jan 8 with accepting graft of more than RM1mil and with money laundering charges involving more than RM1mil.

"My client has already surrendered his passport to the court, and he has been reporting to the Putrajaya MACC every month since last year.

"There is no reason for my client to abscond," he added.

Indera fixed bail at RM16,000 with one surety, and set Feb 28 for mention.