‘I received over RM1mil in cash from Ku Nan’ for by-election

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The former political secretary to Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told the High Court here today (June 29) that he received RM1,013,200 in cash from his boss at the latter’s house in Jalan Duta for use in the 2016 Sungai Besar by-election.

Datuk Mohd Rafi Alli Hassan, 42, who is now an entrepreneur, said the money was later handed over to then Sungai Besar Umno by-election director, Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar, whom he had a meeting with a couple of days earlier.

“After the meeting with Rizalman at the PWTC (on the by-election budget and strategies), I personally went to take cash of RM1,013,200 from Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan at his house.

“The money for use in the by-election was a personal contribution from Tengku Adnan, ” he said during the examination-in-chief by lawyer Datuk Tan Hock Chuan at the defence trial of Tengku Adnan’s RM2mil corruption case.

Rafi, while reading his witness statement, said Tengku Adnan never relied on political funding from Umno headquarters and, if the Federal Territories Umno needed some political funds, the Putrajaya MP had always been able to provide it, either using his own money or political donations.

The second defence witness said Tengku Adnan appointed Rizalman as the Sungai Besar Umno by-election director about a week before the nomination day.

Rafi, who served as Tengku Adnan’s political secretary from January 2014 to May 8,2018, said the initial budget proposed for the by-election was RM1.3mil, but after the meeting, it was slashed to RM1,013,200 to be exact.

Meanwhile, Rizalman, 48, told the court that it had been the political practice of Umno that all expenses receipts recorded for either by-elections or general elections would not be kept for a long period of time, especially when there were no matters arising on the funds.

When asked by Tan whether the RM1,013,200 was completely spent for the Sungai Besar by-election, the third defence witness said yes.

In his witness statement, Rizalman said Tengku Adnan appointed him the Sungai Besar Umno by-election director to “ensure victory” for Barisan Nasional.

“I prepared a budget of RM1.3mil for the by-election and discussed it with Rafi, who later had a meeting with Datuk Seri (Tengku Adnan). At the meeting, I was told that Datuk Seri had reduced the budget to RM1,013,200.

“About two to three days later, I received the cash from Rafi at the Umno headquarters, ” he said, adding he was in charge of renting premises, daily allowances and transportation, logistics, food and beverages, as well as campaigning materials for Barisan during the by-election.

On Oct 14 last year, the High Court ordered Tengku Adnan to enter his defence, after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him.

Tengku Adnan, 69, was charged in his capacity as a public servant then, namely as Federal Territories Minister, with having accepted for himself RM2mil from businessman Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong via a Hong Leong Islamic Bank cheque belonging to Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd that was later deposited into the CIMB Bank account of Tadmansori Holdings in which he had an interest, when it was known that Aset Kayamas had a connection with his official duties.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at the Pusat Bandar Damansara branch of CIMB Bank Bhd here on June 14,2016.

The former minister was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of imprisonment of up to two years or a fine, or both if convicted.

Hearing before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow (June 30). – Bernama