Wife claims trial to RM67.1m money laundering charge.
Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd director Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed was charged at the Sessions Court today with four counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving more than RM313 million and 13 counts of money laundering involving RM139.2 million. The charges are linked to the proposed MEX II highway construction project.
Present in a wheelchair, Abu Sahid, 74, pleaded not guilty to all charges before Judge Suzana Hussin. The court granted him bail of RM1.5 million with one surety and ordered him to surrender his passport until the case concludes. The matter was fixed for mention on 3 November.
In his role as company director with control over its funds, he is accused of dishonestly misappropriating over RM313 million from a bank account in Bukit Tunku, Taman Tunku, between 3 May 2016 and 21 October 2019.
The CBT charges, framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, carry a jail term of between two and 20 years, caning, and a fine upon conviction.
On the first ten money laundering charges, Abu Sahid is accused of transferring RM116,449,536.12, derived from unlawful activities, from his personal bank account to five individuals and four construction companies. On three further counts, he allegedly disposed of RM22,802,612.86 by withdrawing cash via 17 cheques between 4 May 2016 and 19 September 2018.
The money laundering charges were brought under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, which prescribes up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of at least five times the value of the proceeds upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib told the court that both parties had agreed to bail of RM1.5 million with one surety for all charges, and applied for the CBT and money laundering charges to be tried jointly. Abu Sahid’s lawyer, Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, did not object. Judge Suzana then allowed the joint trial application.
In a separate court before Judge Rosli Ahmad, Abu Sahid’s wife, Puan Sri Noor Azrina Mohd Azmi, 48, pleaded not guilty to receiving RM67,136,588.43 in proceeds of unlawful activities from her husband’s account into her own between 6 March and 27 November 2017.
She was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the same Act, which provides for up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the amount or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
In a related case, former company director Datuk Yap Wee Leong, 68, was charged with 17 counts of submitting forged documents for the “Proposed Lebuhraya Putrajaya to KLIA (MEX II)” project for Maju Holdings, involving RM314,486,100. The alleged offences took place at Maju Tower, Jalan Sultan Ismail, between June 2017 and April 2018.
Yap was charged under Section 471 of the Penal Code, which carries up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram appeared for the prosecution. Noor Azrina was represented by Hisyam Teh, while Abdul Hakeem Aiman appeared for Yap.
The court granted bail of RM500,000 to Noor Azrina and RM1 million to Yap, each with one surety, and ordered them to surrender their passports. Judge Rosli fixed 3 November for mention of both cases.