KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, a former minister in the Prime Minister's Department, has been charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of causing Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) to improperly dispose of over RM860.3 million in assets belonging to the institution between 2015 and 2017.
The former Jerai MP pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were presented before Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad on Monday.
According to the charge sheets, the 65-year-old allegedly dishonestly facilitated the disposal of TH's assets in the following amounts: RM42,942,074 (SAR44,170,000), RM288,172,134.64 (SAR250,041,622), and RM529,194,561.87 (SAR471,848,615) to Al-Rawda Real Estate Development and Projects Management Co Ltd.
The offences were reportedly committed at the minister's office in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) located on Level 9, Block D7, Complex D, at the Federal Territories administration centre in Putrajaya, on April 3, 2015. Additional offences were alleged to have occurred at the same office on Level 10, Block A, Kompleks Islam, Putrajaya, on December 14, 2016, and August 17, 2017.
The charges have been framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of imprisonment from six months to five years, along with possible whipping and a fine if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan offered bail at RM1mil for all charges.
She also asked the court to impound the accused's passport pending the disposal of the case.
"If we look at all the charges before this court today, it involves a cumulative amount of RM860,308,770.51.
"I believe what we ask for is reasonable as this is a high-profile case. A RM1mil bail and impoundment of the passport is more than enough," the prosecutor said.
Lawyer Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represented Jamil Khir, however, asked for a lower bail amount around RM300,000 for all the charges. He said bail should not be punitive on the accused.
"Datuk Seri Jamil Khir does not have any other source of income. His only source of income is his pension as a former minister and military pension.
"We submit that RM300,000 in one surety with impounded passport is enough to ensure his attendance at court," he said.
Judge Rosli fixed bail at RM300,000 for all the charges in one surety and allowed the additional bail condition that Jamil Khir must surrender his passport to the court.
The case is set for mention on Nov 5.
Jamil Khir was previously remanded for seven days from Sept 2 and released on bail on Sept 8.
His remand was linked to an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) relating to the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Tabung Haji, which revealed mismanagement within the institution.
