KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob claimed trial at the Sessions Court here to a charge of failing to declare assets, including RM14.7mil in cash, millions in various foreign currencies, as well as gold bars.
Ismail Sabri, 66, who is also Bera MP, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before judge Suzana Hussin here on Thursday (Aug 27).
According to the charge, Ismail Sabri is accused of intentionally providing a written statement that failed to comply with the terms of a notice issued under Section 36(1)(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694) dated Jan 7, 2025, whereby Ismail Sabri allegedly did not declare his assets as listed in an appendix.
The assets in question are Malaysian ringgit (RM14,772,150); Singaporean dollars (SG$6,132,350); American dollars (US$1,461,400); Swiss-Franc (CHF3,000,000); Euro (€12,164,150); Japanese Yen (¥363,000,000); British pound (UK£50,250); NZ dollar (NZ$44,600); Emirati dirham (AED34,750,000); Australian dollar (AU$352,850).
Ismail Sabri allegedly committed the offence at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on Feb 7, 2025.
Deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan offered bail at RM500,000 in one surety.
She also applied to the court to impound Ismail Sabri's passport.
Lawyer Datuk Amer Hamzah Arshad, however, objected, saying that the amount both parties had agreed on earlier was RM100,000.
"Why did the amount change?" he asked.
The lawyer also argued that there was no need for the court to impound Ismail Sabri's passport as there was no real evidence that showed the former prime minister was a flight risk.
"We are here to answer the charge, we are here to clear the name of Ismail Sabri," Amer Hamzah added.
DPP Farah Ezlin insisted there was no mala fide or bad faith from the prosecution.
"If any, that would be a heavy and hard burden for the defence to prove (mala fide). The amount (RM500,000) is sufficient to ensure his attendance in court," she said.
Judge Suzana then fixed bail at RM300,000 in one surety and dismissed the prosecution's application regarding the passport.
"The bailor must be a family member. The application for the passport to be surrendered to the court is not allowed as there is no evidence of flight risk," she said.
The case is fixed for mention on Sept 29.
