KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed Nov 25 to hear an application by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to transfer his four charges involving criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of funds and money laundering from the Sessions Court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Asraf Mohamed Tahir told the press that the date was fixed by High Court Deputy Registrar Catherine Nicholas when the matter came up for case management yesterday.He said the application would be heard before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in open court proceedings.On Aug 19, the former youth and sports minister applied for his cases to be transferred to the High Court through a notice of application filed by Messrs Haijan Omar & Co.
He said it was more appropriate for the cases to be tried in the High Court given the constitutional issues that would arise.
He also requested that the proceedings at the Sessions Court be adjourned pending the outcome of the transfer application.
For the first charge, Syed Saddiq is charged with committing criminal breach of trust as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Armada (Youth) chief by withdrawing RM1mil through a CIMB Bank Bhd cheque without permission from Bersatu’s supreme leadership council here on March 6, 2020, under Section 405 of the Penal Code, which is punishable under Section 406 of the same code.
He also faces a charge of misusing RM120,000 in donations meant for the 14th General Election campaign collected through a Maybank Islamic Bhd account owned by Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise in April 2018, according to Section 403 of the Penal Code.
On Aug 5, he was charged in the Johor Baru Sessions Court with two counts of engaging in money laundering activities – namely two transactions of RM50,000 from his Maybank Islamic Bhd account – through his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account in June 2018.The charges were framed under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which is punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same Act.The court had allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
If convicted, the four charges will see a jail term of five to 15 years, whipping and a possible fine.