SHAH ALAM: The charging of former Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan Abdul Ghani over alleged mismanagement has been put off because he has been hospitalised.
He was admitted to hospital with chest pains on Aug 31, his lawyer told the Sessions Court here. The proceedings against him have now been postponed to Sept 24.
However, two others were charged in separate Kuala Lumpur Sessions Courts with offences related to Tabung Haji.
Nasahruddin Ahmad, 56, a former safety and health manager of THP Bina Sdn Bhd, pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM72,000 in penalty payments collected in connection with a proposed office complex development in Putrajaya.
He was charged before Judge Rosli Ahmad.
Tengku Kamarolhisham Tengku Kamaruddin, 55, a former deputy general manager of TH Properties Sdn Bhd and former deputy general manager of THP Bina Sdn Bhd, also pleaded not guilty to three counts of abetting Nasahruddin.
According to the charges read before Judge Azura Alwi, Tengku Kamarolhisham allegedly directed Nasahruddin to deposit the RM72,000 into his own bank account.
THP Bina Sdn Bhd is a wholly owned subsidiary of TH Properties Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Lembaga Tabung Haji involved in construction and project management.
Adi Azuan’s wife, Datin Zureen Zainuddin, told the Shah Alam court yesterday that her husband was undergoing an angiogram at Universiti Malaya Specialist Centre after experiencing chest pains.
Judge Awang Kerisnada Awang Mahmud fixed Sept 24 for the next mention.
“The right thing to do is to let the accused rest in hospital and fix another date,” he said.
Nasahruddin, meanwhile, had been entrusted with RM72,000 in penalty payments collected from contractor Fourth Wave Sdn Bhd. He was accused of committing criminal breach of trust by depositing the money into his own bank account.
He was charged with committing the offences between April 26, 2013 and Aug 12, 2015.
He faces a maximum jail term of 20 years, whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.
DPP Irna Julieza Maaras said it was a non-bailable offence, although the court had the discretion to grant bail.
“If the court allows bail, the prosecution proposes bail of RM70,000,”
Nasahruddin’s lawyer Muhammad Naqib Aiman Mohd Faizal said the RM70,000 proposed bail was too high, considering that his client runs a food stall earning about RM3,000 a month and supports four children aged between 21 and 26.
Judge Rosli allowed Nasahruddin bail of RM50,000 with one surety for all three charges, with additional conditions that he report to the MACC Putrajaya office once a month, surrender his passport and not interfere with prosecution witnesses.
Tengku Kamarolhisham, meanwhile, was allowed bail of RM45,000 with one surety and a condition that he must not contact any prosecution witnesses.
Both their cases are fixed for mention on Oct 5.
