KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told that RM19.5mil deposited into Bersatu's account by a construction company was "unusual", and that the bank flagged the transactions as "suspicious".
This was testified to by Norazeanti Miswan, assistant branch manager at Bank Muamalat PKNS Shah Alam, who said her branch had issued a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) for each of 29 cheques used in transactions from Mamfor Sdn Bhd to Bersatu.
The witness, testifying in the graft trial of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said Bersatu had received sums ranging from RM500,000 to RM2mil from Mamfor between May 12, 2021, and Nov 16, 2022.
When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin whether such transactions were common, Norazeanti said she had never seen them in her career.
DPP Wan: Throughout your experience as a bank officer, have these transactions been considered common by a company?
Norazeanti: No. I have never seen a company make such transactions to a political party because, normally, other companies make payments in line with the nature of their business. I don't see other companies paying to other political parties.
According to the witness, Mamfor did not make any payments to any political parties other than Bersatu.
DPP Wan then asked Norazeanti whether the bank had issued STRs on the transactions.
"Yes, for each of the 29 transactions, an STR was sent to Bank Muamalat's headquarters," Norazeanti said.
DPP Wan: Why (were the STRs issued)?
Norazeanti: There was suspicion regarding Mamfor's transactions, as the amounts were large and the transactions were frequent.
The witness also told the court that Mamfor closed its Bank Muamalat account on Feb 26, 2025.
Muhyiddin, 78, who was then prime minister and Bersatu president, was charged with four counts of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM225.3mil in relation to the Jana Wibawa Project from three companies and an individual for the party.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister's Office, Bangunan Perdana Putra in Putrajaya, between March 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021.
He also faces three counts of receiving proceeds from illegal activities totalling RM200mil, which were deposited into Bersatu's bank accounts between February 2021 and July 2022.
The hearing resumes before Justice Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.
