Syed Saddiq (centre) arriving at the court complex in Kuala Lumpur on July 5. – Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman instructed a prosecution witness to "clear" (dispose of) RM1mil because he was being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the High Court here was told.
Rafiq Hakim Razali, 32, the former assistant treasurer of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada) wing, said he received a WhatsApp call from Syed Saddiq between March and the end of April informing him that the MACC had conducted an inspection and search of the Muar MP's residence.
The money had allegedly been withdrawn from the youth wing's account.
ALSO READ: Syed Saddiq ordered withdrawal of RM1mil from Armada’s account, says witness
The 13th prosecution witness said Syed Saddiq instructed him to distribute RM650,000 to Federal Territory Bersatu Youth information chief Muhammad Daniel Kusari and RM250,000 to Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim, a Bersatu member at the time.
"He (Syed Saddiq) instructed me to ‘clear’ the money which I was holding at that time, and because of this, I distributed it to Naqib and Daniel,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin at the trial of Syed Saddiq, who faces four charges relating to criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.
To a question by Wan Shaharuddin as to why Syed Saddiq asked him to "clear" the money, Rafiq Hakim replied: "He (Syed Saddiq) was afraid the money would be confiscated.”
The witness said the RM1mil was kept in his house before being distributed to Muhammad Daniel and Muhammad Naqib.
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Wan Shaharuddin: Where were the RM250,000 and RM650,000 distributed from?
Rafiq Hakim: In the area around my house.
Wan Shaharuddin: Where did the RM250,000 and RM650,000 come from?
Rafiq Hakim: The money came from the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Armada account (and) from a withdrawal of RM1mil.
Wan Shahruddin: By right, it should have been RM900,000, (so) what happened to the (remaining) RM100,000?
Rafiq Hakim: To my recollection, I used it for Armada programmes and those were all instructions from YB Syed Saddiq.
Asked if he would have withdrawn the money if he had not received any instruction from Syed Saddiq to do so, Rafiq Hakim replied: "No."
He said prior to the RM1mil withdrawal, Syed Saddiq had asked him for the account balance, and he replied that there was about RM1.8mil.
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When asked by Wan Shaharuddin whether Rafiq Hakim understood what was meant by the MACC investigation, Rafiq Hakim replied: "At that time there was the case of the missing RM250,000 and the MACC had come to YB Syed Saddiq's house to investigate.”
Rafiq Hakim said he only knew that Syed Saddiq had lost RM250,000 from his house safe, adding that the politician did not state that the money belonged to his parents or if it was meant to pay for house renovations, but only that it was from political donations.
To another question, the witness said he was still friends with Syed Saddiq, and had even met the politician during Ramadan recently where they discussed a Baju Melayu project in Syed Saddiq’s house.
"YB Syed Saddiq agreed to carry out the Baju Melayu project,” Rafiq Hakim said.
Wan Shaharuddin: At that time, did he (Syed Saddiq) say anything about the order not to meet any (case) witnesses?
Rafiq Hakim: No
Syed Saddiq, 29, is charged as the then Bersatu youth wing or Armada chief, who was entrusted with control of its funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, Armada’s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1mil in funds belonging to the wing at CIMB Bank Bhd, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, here on March 6, 2020.
For the second charge, Syed Saddiq is alleged to have misused property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise, by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking Bhd, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya here, between April 8 and 21, 2018.
ALSO READ: ‘Only Syed Saddiq’s fingerprints found on safe’
He also faces two counts of engaging in money-laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000 believed to be proceeds from unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputra account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Baru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The trial before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid continues on Wednesday (July 6). – Bernama
