KUALA LUMPUR: An investigating officer told the Sessions Court on Tuesday (March 31) that his investigations revealed that there was direct evidence showing that Datuk Seri Azlan Man received RM1.06mil from illicit activities related to the cancellation of his vacation package abroad.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) AMLA Branch Investigation Division assistant director Mohamad Safwan Arbangi, 33, said Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd and Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd were instructed to cancel the former Perlis Mentri Besar's travel reservations overseas and return the money from the Perlis government to Azlan.
"The holiday package reservation was made by Herwardy Hashim (Azlan’s then senior private secretary) on the orders of Datuk Seri Azlan Man and he (Azlan) then ordered Herwardy to inform both tour agencies about the package cancellation.
"My investigation found that the refund was set by Datuk Seri Azlan Man himself as he cancelled his holiday. This statement was via documents and bank statements of both parties and witness statements,” the prosecution’s 19th witness said while reading his witness statement during Azlan’s trial, in which the accused is facing 10 charges of submitting false claims and receiving proceeds from illicit activities.
He said both tour agencies were instructed to refund the money to Azlan through four cheques totalling RM852,207.28 and RM207,468 in cash from 2014 to 2017.
Safwan also said that Azlan requested that the money from the Perlis government be deposited through Local Order (LO) into the bank accounts of the tour agencies for the tour packages and that the tours did not happen.
"Overall, through the investigation I conducted, I found consistent statements from witnesses and documents I obtained to show the basis of the offence of receiving money from illicit activities under Section of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (AMLATFPUAA) 2001, carried out by Datuk Seri Azlan Man," the witness said.
When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Noralis Mat how he came to the conclusion that Azlan received the illicit money, Safwan said the overseas travel claims were made five times from 2013 to 2017 using LO and it was money from the Perlis state government, and that Azlan was the one who cancelled the trips.
"Money withdrawals from the Perlis government’s account for this case were using LO for five consecutive times and all five times, Datuk Seri Azlan Man had cancelled the tour package approved by the Perlis state secretary’s office’s financial officials.
"In line with the LOs, whatever regulations and procedures must follow application instructions from the LOs that were enforced and the trip must be conducted according to the LO instead of otherwise,” he said, adding that his investigations found that based on statements by Perlis finance and treasury officials, if the LOs were cancelled on Azlan’s instructions, the money should be returned to the state government, not to Azlan.
Azlan, 67, is being charged with five counts of submitting false claims and five counts of receiving illicit money totalling RM1.06mil, along with five alternative counts of misusing RM1.06mil belonging to the Perlis state government, which was paid to Sri Kedawang Travel and Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd.
The trial in front of Judge Azura Alwi will resume on April 23.- Bernama
