KUALA LUMPUR: Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd director Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed, who was charged at the Sessions Court here with 17 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering related to the MEX II Highway project, will face seven additional charges of misusing funds involving the same project at the Shah Alam Sessions Court soon, say prosecutors.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib said former construction company director Datuk Yap Wee Leong will also be charged over the same project.
Ahmad Akram said Abu Sahid will be charged with seven counts of misusing property under Section 403 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 109 of the same code, involving a total of RM145mil.
“Yap will be charged with 18 counts: nine under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 involving RM209mil, and nine under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, involving RM387mil,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, Abu Sahid claimed trial at the Sessions Court to 17 charges of CBT amounting to RM313mil and money laundering involving RM139mil, linked to the proposed highway project known as MEX II.
Abu Sahid, 74, was allowed to sit in a wheelchair outside the accused dock due to health reasons as he listened to the charges being read out to him.
“Faham. Tidak bersalah (I understand. Not guilty),” he told the court.
MEX II was a proposed highway project that should have linked Putrajaya to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
According to the first to fourth charge sheets, Abu Sahid, who was charged in his capacity as a director of Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd, allegedly committed CBT by dishonestly misusing a total of RM313,124,617.02 that belonged to the company.
He was accused of committing the offences at a bank in Bukit Tunku between May 3, 2016 and Oct 21, 2019.
The charges are under Section 409 of the Penal Code which carries imprisonment up to 20 years, whipping and liable for a fine.
For the first 10 money laundering charges, Abu Sahid was accused of transferring RM116,449,536.12 from his bank account to the accounts of five individuals and four construction companies between May 4, 2016 and Oct 29, 2019.
For charges 11 to 13, he allegedly disposed proceeds from illegal activities amounting to RM22,802,612.86, by cashing multiple cheques from his account between May 4, 2016 and Sept 19, 2018.
The charges under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA) carries imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of no less than five times the amount of proceeds from illegal activities or RM5mil, whichever is higher.
DPP Ahmad Akram told judge Suzana Hussin the prosecution offered bail of RM1.5mil in one surety and sought for the accused’s passport to be impounded by the court.
“The prosecution is also seeking for the cases to be tried together,” Ahmad Akram said, to which lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik concurred.
Judge Suzana allowed a joint trial and fixed bail at RM1.5mil in one surety and for Abu Sahid to surrender his passport.
In a separate courtroom, Abu Sahid’s wife Puan Sri Noor Azrina Mohd Azmi, 48, claimed trial to a charge of money laundering involving RM67.1mil.
She allegedly received RM67,136,588.43, being proceeds from illegal activities, in her bank account – monies that were received from her husband’s bank account.
The offence was allegedly committed at a bank in Bukit Tunku between March 6 and Nov 27, 2017.
Sessions Court judge Rosli Ahmad allowed bail at RM500,000 in one surety and ordered for Noor Azrina’s passport to be surrendered to the court.
At the same court, Yap claimed trial to 17 counts of falsifying documents linked to the proposal of the MEX II highway.
Yap, 68, pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of dishonestly using progress claims for the works “Site Clearance, Temporary Works, Earthworks, Geotechnical Works, Drainage Works And Pavement Works (Subgrade)” for the project “Proposed Putrajaya to KLIA (MEX II) Highway Commencing From Putrajaya Interchange and Terminating at KLIA for Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd”, when he, in fact, had reason to believe that the documents were false.
The claims amounted to RM314,486,100. The offences were allegedly committed between June 2017 and April 2018.
He is facing imprisonment up to two years, or fine, or both, if convicted. Judge Rosli Ahmad allowed bail at RM1mil.
All of the cases have been fixed for mention on Nov 3.
