Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman pled not guilty today to two counts of money laundering totalling RM100,000 at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court.
The two charges were framed under Section 4 (1) (b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).
In both charges, Syed Saddiq is alleged to be involved in money laundering activities, namely transferring money amounting to RM50,000 each in his Maybank Islamic Berhad account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
The acts were allegedly committed at Maybank Islamic Berhad at No 17 and 19, Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling here, on June 18 and 19, 2018, when he was still youth and sports minister.
If found guilty, the 28-year-old could be jailed up to 15 years and fined not less than five times the amount or proceeds of the illegal activity or equipment of the offence or RM5 million, whichever is higher.
Syed Saddiq was represented by lawyer Gobind Singh Deo.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission‘s Legal and Prosecution Division deputy director Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin prosecuted, aided by two other deputy public prosecutors Ahmad Akram Gharib and Mohd Afif Ali.
Wan Shaharuddin had earlier applied to the court to allow bail against Syed Saddiq, similar to the bail imposed on him by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur during earlier charges last month.
The prosecution also requested the court to transfer the case to the same Sessions Court in KL as it intended to call on the same witnesses to testify in Syed Saddiq’s trial.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail allowed the prosecution’s applications and set September 10 for mention of the case at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur.
Outside the courtroom, Gobind told reporters that all parties had agreed that there will be no new bail amount for the new case and will follow the bail amount set by the previous case in Kuala Lumpur.
He also said the judge allowed Syed Saddiq’s new case to be transferred to Kuala Lumpur and will be mentioned with the previous case next month.
Syed Saddiq previously faced two charges in Kuala Lumpur on July 22 and pled not guilty to both.
The first charge involved the misappropriation of political funds of about RM1 million while the second charge involved the offence of misusing campaign contributions of RM120,000 meant for the 14th general election in 2018.
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq claimed that Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal tried to persuade him to support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Syed Saddiq today alleged that prior to his court cases (he did not specify which one), he was visited by Wan Fayhsal, who purportedly tried to get him to back Muhyiddin and the PN administration.
“It is strange that the same party (Bersatu), which claimed I stole their money (and committed) CBT (criminal breach of trust) in 2018 before the GE (14th general election), its youth chief and deputy (youth and sports) minister Wan Fayhsal came to my house before I was charged, to coax me to support PN and PM Muhyiddin.
“If I had stolen the party’s funds, why ask for my support?
“It is akin to a CEO who stole company funds, but at the same time, the company wants to maintain (the CEO). If money has been stolen, why maintain (the CEO)? (The CEO) should be dismissed,” Syed Saddiq contended.
“With this political pressure, I will not give in as I believe I am on the right side. In the end, I firmly believe that the truth will prevail, and I will fight on, the best way I can,” he added.