KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has ordered Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to enter his defence on four corruption charges after finding the prosecution has successfully proven prima facie in the case.
Judicial Commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid, in his decision, said he had considered all the evidence by the prosecution and had given a maximum evaluation.
“I am satisfied that the prosecution has proven prima facie for all four charges against the accused.
“The accused is therefore ordered to enter his defence,” he said here yesterday.
The 29-year-old appeared calm when the decision at the end of the prosecution was read out.
JC Azhar said Syed Saddiq has three options when entering his defence: either to keep silent and not answer the charges; give an unsworn statement from the dock without being cross-examined by the prosecution; or testify under oath on the witness stand with the prosecution being given the opportunity to question him during cross-examination.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who represented Syed Saddiq, said his client has chosen to enter his defence by testifying under oath.
The court has fixed the defence trial to begin from Feb 22 to Feb 24, March 13, March 14 and April 10 to April 14.
On Sept 27, the prosecution closed its case after calling 30 witnesses in the trial, which began on May 21, according to Bernama.
The witnesses included Syed Saddiq’s parents – Shariffah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz and Syed Abdul Rahman Abdullah Asagoff – and Rafiq Hakim (the former assistant treasurer of Bersatu Armada), as well as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigating officers Nurul Hidayah Kamarudin, Syahmeizy Sulong and Asbi Munip.
Deputy public prosecutors Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Mohd ‘Afif Ali prosecuted.
Syed Saddiq was charged as the then Bersatu youth wing or Armada chief, who was entrusted with control of its funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim by committing a criminal breach of trust 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.
The charge, framed under Section 406 of the Penal Code, provides for imprisonment for up to 10 years with whipping and a fine, if found guilty.
He was also charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code for allegedly having misused RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise for himself 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.
He faces imprisonment for up to five years with whipping and a fine if found guilty.
He also faces two counts of engaging in money-laundering activities, namely two transactions of RM50,000 each 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 charge was framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which provides imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of the unlawful activity, if found guilty.
