KUALA LUMPUR: Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will know on Tuesday (June 30) whether he remains a free man or convicted over four counts of graft relating to Armada funds.
The Federal Court is expected to deliver its decision in the prosecution's appeal against Syed Saddiq's acquittal by the Court of Appeal at 9am Tuesday.
The apex court panel presiding over the case comprises of Court of Appeal president Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Jais, and Federal Court judges Justices Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
Syed Saddiq was accused of one count of abetting criminal breach of trust involving RM1mil, one count of misusing property amounting to RM120,000, and two counts of money laundering involving RM50,000 each.
If the Federal Court dismisses the prosecution’s appeal, Syed Saddiq will be fully acquitted of all convictions and sentences.
However, if the panel allows the appeal, he will again face the jail term, caning and fine earlier imposed by the High Court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, who leads the prosecution team, told the media that he had "done his best" in carrying out his duty to prosecute.
"I leave it to the court to decide," he said when contacted.
On Nov 9, 2023, High Court Justice Azhar Abdul Hamid convicted Syed Saddiq on all four charges, sentencing him to seven years’ jail, two strokes and a RM10mil fine.
However, on June 25, the Court of Appeal acquitted him after a three-judge panel led by Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, with Justices Azman Abdullah and Noorin Badaruddin, found the charges baseless.
The court also stated that giving instructions to withdraw funds could not be treated as disposal of assets.
The first charge alleges Syed Saddiq abetted Rafiq Hakim Razali (Armada Bersatu assistant treasurer), entrusted with RM1mil, to commit criminal breach of trust at CIMB Bank Berhad, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, on Mar 6, 2020, under Section 406 of the Penal Code.
The second charge involves misuse of RM120,000 from a Maybank Islamic Berhad account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise between Apr 8 and 21, 2018, at Maybank Taman Pandan Jaya, under Section 403 of the Penal Code.
The remaining two charges relate to money laundering, each for RM50,000, transferred into Syed Saddiq’s Amanah Saham Bumiputera account on June 16 and 19, 2018, at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Johor Baru.
These are under Section 4(1)(b) of the AMLA 2001 and punishable under Section 4(1) of the same Act.
